Sisters Are Forever
by autumnrose2010
Summary: What if Kestra Troi had lived?
1. Kestra: The Early Years

One of Kestra's earliest memories was the night Bronco became a member of their family. He was half cocker spaniel and half terrier, a warm, wriggly bundle of energy that her father, Ian Andrew Troi, brought home from work with him late one night. One of Ian's friends' dogs had had a litter of puppies, and Ian had thought that his little girl might would like to have one.

Kestra was in bed sound asleep, and the puppy's whimpering woke her up. Excited, she bounded out of bed to meet the new addition to the family.

"Now look what you've done," Kestra's mother, Lwaxana, scolded Ian.

"I'm sorry, honey. I guess there just isn't a quiet way to bring a puppy into the house," Ian laughed.

"Now we'll never get her back to sleep," Lwaxana complained.

"Oh, Daddy, is he really ours to keep?" Kestra giggled as the puppy licked her face.

"Oh, no," Lwaxana moaned. Ian quickly noticed that the puppy had urinated all over the floor.

"Hey, nothing a mop and some Pine Sol can't get up," he said cheerfully.

"Go back to bed, Kestra," Lwaxana ordered her daughter. "There'll be plenty of time to play with the puppy in the morning."

"Aw, let her stay up just a little bit longer. This is a special night," Ian urged. Lwaxana frowned but didn't say anything.

"Can he sleep with me in my bed?" Kestra asked.

"No!" Lwaxana snapped.

"He has his own bed that he'd be more comfortable in," Ian told Kestra.

"Well, can his bed go right by my bed?"

Ian smiled. "I don't see why not."

* * *

"I'm never playing hide and seek with you again!" Brayden crossed his arms and stalked away angrily. "You always peek!"

"No I don't!" Kestra protested. "I never peek!"

"They how come you always find us right away, no matter where we hide?" Alyssa's tone was accusatory.

"I don't know! But I never peek! Honest, I don't!" Kestra was near tears.

Brayden and Alyssa were Kestra's human cousins, who were visiting from Earth with their parents, Ian's brother Roger and Roger's wife Alice.

"Hey kids, how about a game of cowboys and Indians? I'll be the horse!" Ian Troi was suddenly there.

"Yippee!" Brayden and Alyssa immediately forgot about hide and seek.

In a low voice that only she could hear, Ian confided to his daughter, "It's all right, Kestra. Don't you worry about it. _I _know you didn't peek."

* * *

Kestra was in the first grade in school when her baby sister Deanna was born. She remembered the day her mother brought Deanna home wrapped in a pink and white blanket with a little pink hat on her head and pink booties on her feet. Kestra had been expecting Deanna to look just like her baby dolls, so she was surprised that her baby sister actually looked quite different. Her head was pointy, her skin was wrinkled and blotchy, and her eyes looked crossed.

"She looks just like you did right after you were born," Lwaxana told her older daughter. Kestra didn't believe it.

"In about a month she'll look very different from the way she looks now," Lwaxana went on. She showed Kestra how to hold the baby, supporting her head so that it wouldn't fall back.

"She sure is floppy," Kestra remarked.

"That's why you have to be so careful when you hold her."

As the days and weeks passed, Deanna's appearance did change a lot, just as Kestra's mother had said it would. Her head became rounded, her skin became smooth, and her eyes uncrossed. She began smiling too, and Kestra decided that her baby sister was really much prettier than all her baby dolls were, after all.

One gorgeous day a few months later, the family decided to have a picnic at a nearby park. It turned out to be a day that none of them would ever forget.

In the beginning, a very pleasant outing seemed assured, with Ian and Lwaxana sitting on the quilt watching baby Deanna scoot around and Kestra romping with Bronco.

"Don't go so far away that I can't see you," Lwaxana warned Kestra, but the girl wasn't really listening. She was too busy throwing a ball for Bronco to catch.

Suddenly Bronco saw a cat and took off after it in a flash. Worried that he would get lost, Kestra tried to follow him, but he was soon out of her sight. She kept running in the direction in which she had soon him run, and soon she saw him standing at the foot of a tree and barking madly up at the cat. Soon the cat disappeared into the higher branches of the tree, and Bronco immediately lost interest and wondered away. Kestra realized that she had no idea in which direction she should go to find her parents and Deanna. She tried walking back in the direction in which she thought she had come, but she didn't see anything familiar on the way back, and she began to get frightened.

Suddenly Bronco gave a joyful yelp and began running again. Kestra saw that he was headed straight for a pond.

"No, Bronco! Don't go over there! We have to find Mommy and Daddy!" Kestra gave chase, and Bronco, thinking that it was a game, ran faster. He reached the pond and dived right in.

Kestra, not realizing that all dogs could naturally swim, feared for her pet's safety and followed him into the water. Immediately she knew that she was in trouble. Her feet didn't touch the bottom of the pond, and no matter how vigorously she kicked and thrashed, she couldn't get her head above the water's surface. She tried to scream and only gulped in water. Then everything started to go black...

* * *

Ian and Lwaxana watched Deanna scoot around on the quilt. She got her little behind up in the air a few times, but she just couldn't quite seem to be able to get up on one knee.

"Come on, Deanna, you can do it!" Lwaxana encouraged her, and then suddenly she did! Proud of herself, the baby chortled with glee.

"Ian, she's crawling!" Lwaxana shouted excitedly to her husband. Ian, who was taking drinks out of the cooler, glanced at them.

"Hey, you're right!" His face broke into a grin. "Kestra! Come see what your sister can do now!" He looked around for his older daughter, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Kestra?"

Suddenly Bronco was there, his fur soaking wet, tugging on Ian's pants leg and waiting for him to follow. Now truly alarmed, Ian followed the dog, and before long, the pond came into view.

_Oh dear God no, please no..._

More terrified than he had ever been in his entire life, Ian raced toward the pond as fast as his legs could carry him, and sure enough, he saw child-sized footprints leading to the edge of the water. Just beyond them floated Kestra's body, the top of her head just visible above the water's surface, hair splayed out like a fan around it. Screaming his daughter's name at the top of his lungs, Ian lunged into the water and snatched her out. Kestra was as limp as a fag doll, her eyes were closed, and her skin had a bluish tinge. Ian wrapped his arms around her from behind and pushed up on her diaphragm with both fists. A gust of water streamed out of her mouth. He repeated the action, and the second time, he heard a gagging noise. The third time, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Kestra's eyes opened and her skin slowly began to regain its natural color.

"Oh Kestra..." He held her tightly and sobbed with relief.

As soon as Kestra regained consciousness, she felt the intensity of her father's fear, and it threatened to overwhelm her. As he hugged her to himself, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and sent him thought messages with all her might. _It's all right, Daddy... please don't be afraid... I'm okay now and everything's going to be just fine. _She felt his panic easing and thought that she must be getting through to him.

Holding his daughter as if he would never let her go, Ian rushed back to where Lwaxana was waiting with Deanna.

When Lwaxana saw them coming, her expression changed from curiosity to bewilderment. "What in the world happened, Ian? Why is Kestra soaking wet?"

"I...I...she...she..." Ian struggled to tell his wife what had happened but couldn't get the words out.

"I fell in the water and couldn't get out and then Daddy came and helped me. He was really scared, but I told him that everything was going to be okay."

Lwaxana sat the baby on the quilt and rose to take Kestra into her arms. _You saved our little girl's life. I love you so much, Imzadi._

"Thank God I found her before it was too late." Ian had finally regained his voice.

"Can we go home now, Daddy? I want to put on some dry clothes."

"We're headed there just as fast as we can." In less that five minutes all the picnic supplies were loaded into the car and the family was on its way home.

"I wish that I could just rewind this day and start it all over again. I would have never even left the bed," Lwaxana remarked on the way home.

"We'll just have to be more careful from now on, and thank God every day that we were given a second chance," her husband told her.

"I don't want this day to ever be mentioned again by either of you," Lwaxana stated. "I want all of us to just forget that it ever happened."

"I promise, I'll never say a word about it again," Ian vowed.

_I won't either, Mommy, _thought Kestra.


	2. Deanna: The Saddest Day

The worst day of Deanna Troi's life came when she was seven years old. That day started out as just another ordinary day, with Deanna going to elementary school, Kestra to high school, and their mother to whatever business she had to attend to on that particular day. When Deanna came home from school, she saw that her mother's eyes were red from crying, and the intensity of her mother's grief felt that it would suffocate her.

"Come here, Deanna. I have something important to tell you." With a heavy heart the little girl approached her mother, dreading the words she was about to hear.

"Deanna, a very bad thing happened to your father today. He and another man were investigating a building and it collapsed on them. Your father was hurt so badly that his body wasn't able to stay alive anymore and so he died."

Deanna started shaking her head halfway through her mother's announcement, and when Lwaxana finished speaking, Deanna screamed. "No! No! No!"

She turned and ran into her bedroom, slammed the door shut, and climbed under the covers. Maybe if she stayed underneath them long enough, then when she finally came out, it would be that morning all over again, things would be just like they were before and her daddy would be alive and safe.

After awhile she heard footsteps and knew that Kestra was home from school. Some time later she heard a gentle knock, and after a few seconds the doorknob turned and Kestra entered the bedroom. Her eyes looked more sorrowful than Deanna had ever seen them, and Deanna felt the same overwhelming grief in her sister that she had felt in her mother.

Kestra ran to her and embraced her, and the two girls cried together.

* * *

At the funeral home, Kestra and Deanna stood by their father's closed casket and exchanged thoughts.

_He saved my life when I was your age. I almost drowned and he saved me._

_I don't remember that._

_That's because you were just a baby when it happened._

They looked up to see their mother glaring furiously at them.

_I want you girls to stop that this instant! Your father's relatives from Earth are here, and they're watching you!_

"We're sorry, Mom," Kestra whispered, and Deanna nodded.

They went to stand with Roger, Alice, Brayden, and Alyssa. Roger stared glumly at the floor, Alice's eyes were red from crying, and Brayden and Alyssa both looked profoundly uncomfortable, as if they would rather be anywhere in the world than here.

At the graveside Deanna looked up at her big sister with big sorrowful eyes.

_Won't Daddy be terribly lonely down there all by himself?_

_That isn't really him, Deanna. The part that's really him is up in heaven with God and the angels, and he's happy._

That thought seemed to comfort Deanna.

* * *

That night Kestra heard Deanna crying in her bedroom and went in to check on her.

"Daddy used to sing 'Down in the Valley' to me when he was home. Now he can never sing it to me again because he's dead!"

"I'll sing it to you, Deanna." Kestra started to sing.

_Down in the valley  
The valley so low  
Hang your head over  
Let the wind blow..._

"Stop it, Kestra! You don't sound like Daddy at all! Go away!"

Confused and hurt, Kestra went to her own bedroom.

A few minutes later, she heard the soft padding of Deanna's feet on her bedroom floor.

_I'm sorry I yelled at you, Kestra. Are you mad?_

_That's okay, Deanna. No, I'm not mad._

_Can I sleep in the bed with you tonight, Kestra? Please?_

_Sure._

Deanna got in the bed and waited for Kestra, who turned out the light and got into bed with her. Kestra heard Deanna softly crying and put her arms around her until she fell asleep. Then Kestra cried her own tears._  
_


	3. Kestra: Meeting Her Imzadi

Kestra met him when she was sixteen, at a party at Lwaxana's house. As usual, Lwaxana was dominating the attention, and Kestra was serving as a part-time hostess and blending into the background the rest of the time. This was one of the first of these affairs she had been allowed to attend. Nine-year-old Deanna, over many protests, had been sent to bed early.

"Excuse me, miss, would you please bring me another drink?"

Kestra looked around to see who had spoken. Three young men in Starfleet uniforms sat on the sofa, and the one in the middle was looking at her. He had merry blue eyes, red hair, and freckles all over his body. He was smiling and waiting for her reply.

"Certainly." She smiled back and took his glass.

"By the way, my name's Kevin O'Reilly," he said shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Kevin. I'm Kestra Troi."

"A lovely name for a lovely girl."

"Why, thank you."

To Kestra his accent sounded charming, almost melodic. She thought that she would never tire of hearing him talk.

Later, when the party was winding down and Kestra was helping to collect used silverware, she felt a hand on her elbow and turned to look into his face.

"The moon and stars are so lovely on this beautiful night. Would you like to take a walk with me?" The way he said it made his offer absolutely irresistible.

"Your planet is the loveliest I've visited so far, and its inhabitants seem to be just as lovely," he told her as they strolled the grounds of Lwaxana's home.

"I've always lived here on Betazed, as has my mother, but my father was from Earth. He died two years ago when the Romulans sabotaged a building he was investigating. Now it's just Mom, me, and Deanna."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been devastating for you."

"It was. Deanna and I were both very close to our dad. He saved my life when I was seven. We were at the park and I almost drowned."

"What a horrid experience." He grinned. "I trust you've learned to swim since then."

"Oh yes. Deanna and I have both had lessons."

"So, where on Earth was your father from?"

"Sheridan, Wyoming. Auditions for Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show were held at the Sheridan Inn there. It's still standing after five hundred years."

"I love ancient buildings," Kevin said. "My homeland has castles that are even older than the Sheridan Inn. Much older."

"Tell me more about your homeland."

"It's a beautiful country, with rolling hills and mountains. Due to the heavy rainfall the vegetation is always a lush and vibrant green. Because of this it is sometimes called the Emerald Isle. I'll take you there someday."

Kevin came to visit often after that. He and Kestra went for long walks on Lwaxana's property, and sometimes he took her out for dinner or recreation. Sometimes they just sat on the porch swing holding hands and talking. On one such occasion Kevin leaned in to kiss Kestra when Kestra heard a suppressed giggling. Out from behind a bush sprang Deanna, rubbing the tips of her forefingers together and making loud smacking noises.

"Stop that this instant!" Kestra was furious. She took several threatening steps in Deanna's direction, and Deanna, doubled over with giggling, fled.

"She can be such a pain sometimes," Kestra complained.

"Aww, I think she's cute." Kevin grinned. "She has such dark ebony eyes, just like yours. She's going to be a real beauty someday, just like her big sister."

* * *

"Well, here we are! How do you like it?" Kestra asked as she and Kevin stepped into the Jalara Jungle. They had known each other for a couple of years, and it was only a few weeks before Kestra was due to start her studies in science at the University of Betazed. She had been wanting to see the Jalara Jungle with Kevin for a long time, and finally the opportunity had come.

"It's even more beautiful than I imagined it," Kevin replied.

Tall trees rose high into the sky in all directions, and leafy trailing vines were everywhere. The ground was carpeted wth small plants, some of them bearing tiny flowers of many different colors. Small harmless creatures clung to the leaves or crawled along the branches. Through breaks in the heavy foliage above they caught glimpses of the blue sky and pink clouds.

Kestra had been in the Jalara Jungle before, but never accompanied by a male companion. Kevin wondered at all the amazing sights, his eyes pausing to drink in every lovely masterpiece of nature. Kestra felt his hand slip into hers as they stolled casually along.

"Wow!" Kevin had stopped walking and just stood looking into the clearance they had approached.

"Those are the Janara Falls. Aren't they lovely?"

Kevin took Kestra's head in both his hands and kissed her passionately, more passionately than he ever had before. Then he took her hand and led her to a smooth stone that was large enough for them both to lie on top of it.

Within minutes they had each shed their clothing and were lying in each other's arms upon it, kissing passionately while exploring each other's bodies.

"Thank you so very much for entrusting me with your heart, Kestra. I promise that I will always cherish it and hold it dear," Kevin said to her later when they had returned from the jungle.

When Kestra returned from the Jalara Jungle, the first person she saw was Deanna. She felt slightly irritated for the briefest of seconds, but then she looked into her sister's dark eyes dancing with excitement and just couldn't stay cross at her.

_Did you go into the Jalara Jungle with Kevin? What did you do there?_

_The most wonderful thing happened today. Kevin became my Imzadi._

_What's that mean?_

_He became the first man to really touch my soul, to really connect with me deeply, emotionally as well as physically._

_Will I have an Imzadi too when I get to be your age?_

_I don't know, Dee. But you will find him some day, and when you do, it will be the most extraordinary encounter you will ever have, and no matter what else happens, you will never forget him.  
_


	4. Deanna: Saying Goodbye

"Are you sure you have everything?" Lwaxana asked her elder daughter.

"Checked and double-checked," Kestra replied.

Kestra had been packing to attend the University of Betazed, where she planned to study science. She hoped to become a science officer on a starship, as her father had been before her.

"You know I can't turn around and come back if we get halfway there and you suddenly remember that you forgot to pack something," Lwaxana warned.

"Don't worry, Mom." Kestra smiled.

"I guess we may as well leave then."

The long drive to the University of Betazed was mostly dominated by a monologue from Lwaxana.

"You realize that university is not like high school...you're an adult now, with adult responsibilities...don't forget to set your alarm clock every night so you won't be late for class the next day...keep your dorm locked at all times; you never know what weirdos might venture onto the campus...make sure to budget your money to have enough for groceries and the laundromat..."

"Yes, Mom," Kestra said whenever there was an interval of silence.

"What about Kevin?" Deanna asked when there was finally a break in the conversation.

"He's still stationed on Betazed for now. He's going to try to get a transfer to a work station closer to the university so we can see each other more often."

Finally they arrived at the university campus, parked, and unloaded the car.

They found admissions, and a smiling woman said that she would take Kestra to her dorm and show her around the campus.

Lwaxana turned to leave, but Deanna lingered a moment.

_I'm gonna miss you, Kestra._

_I'm gonna miss you too, Dee._

_Email me? _

_Every single day. I promise._

Deanna raced to where Kestra stood, and they exchanged a quick embrace before Deanna followed her mother back to the car.

* * *

To Deanna, the house seemed terribly quiet for the rest of the day. Bored, she decided to go for a walk. Her mind turned to thoughts of Bronco. At fourteen years of age, he had died in his sleep a few weeks previous to Kestra's departure for university. Of the three family members, Deanna had taken the dog's death the hardest. Bronco had been a member of the family for her entire life, and she just couldn't imagine life without him. They had buried him near the house and erected a small wooden cross of the spot. Deanna didn't really know any funeral songs, so she sang a song her father had taught her, 'Home On The Range', for him. She had brought flowers to the grave every day for the first few days, and only recently had started occasionally forgetting a day.

Suddenly Deanna felt sad and very frightened, and it didn't take her long to discover why. A baby bird had fallen from a nest high in a tree and lay near her feet, helpless with a broken wing.

"Oh, you poor little thing," she cried, cradling the bird tenderly in her hands as she hurried back toward the house.

Lwaxana met her at the door.

_He's hurt, Mom. He needs somebody to take care of him._

Lwaxana normally frowned on Deanna's habit of bringing injured animals into the house, but perhaps due to the combination of the loss of Bronco and the departure of Kestra, she decided to look the other way this time. She understood that Deanna had a need for someone or something to nurture, that she had just been born that way.

Deanna hurried to her room, where she found a small box with a swath of cotton in it that contained a bracelet.

"This'll make a nice home for you," she said to the bird, removing the bracelet from the box and gently laying the bird inside. She found a piece of cloth to cover him with so that he wouldn't get cold.

"There you go, nice and cozy," she told him. "Now we need to think of a name for you. Oh, I know! How about 'Lucky'?"

She patted the soft downy head ever so gently and wondered whether the bird knew what she was thinking.


	5. Kestra: A Wedding Without A Dress

"This dress is so uncomfortable," Deanna complained.

"What does it matter? You'll be taking it off as soon as we get to the wedding hall anyway," Lwaxana reminded her. It was the day of Kestra and Kevin's wedding, and the Lwaxana and her daughters were traveling to the wedding hall together.

"Why do we have to take off our clothes for weddings, Mom?" Deanna asked.

"it's symbolic of total honesty."

"I'm sure glad we're not in Alaska," Deanna chuckled.

"What's Alaska?" asked Kestra.

"A very cold place on Earth."

"How do you know about that? Did Dad tell you?"

"No." Deanna couldn't quite explain how she knew about Alaska, except that it had something to do with a dream she had had about a boy only slightly older than herself. A very nice-looking boy with dark hair, clear blue eyes, and a dimple in his chin. In her dream he had been standing in the snow.

_Oh Deanna, you and your silly dreams._

Hurt, Deanna turned to stare out the window. Kestra was probably right. There was probably nothing to the dream at all.

Finally, they arrived at the wedding hall. Kevin had arrived separately because, according to tradition, he and Kestra weren't supposed to see each other until the ceremony actually began.

Lwaxana, Kestra, and Deanna went into a small room, where they removed all of their clothing. Fourteen-year-old Deanna couldn't help comparing her own body to that of her sister. Kestra's breasts were larger and fuller, and she had matured past Deanna's teenaged awkwardness. Kestra noticed Deanna staring at her and felt self-conscious. She left to wait outside the main room until it was time for her to walk down the aisle, and Lwaxana and Deanna took their seats on the bride's family's side of the hall.

* * *

Kestra and Kevin had seen each other naked before, of course, but that didn't stop Kestra from developing a case of the jitters at the thought of standing together with him, naked, in front of an audience, all of them naked as well. Kestra was not ashamed of her body; on the contrary, she was rather proud of it, but she still felt just a bit uneasy at the thought of standing naked in front of an audience, but of course her mother wouldn't have had it any other way. She knew that what Lwaxana wanted, Lwaxana got, or there would be hell to pay.

At the sight of Kevin waiting for her at the front, Kestra's heart quickened it's pace. Once again she was in awe at the beauty of his naked body, and it took all the self-control she had not to let her eyes wander below his waistline during the ceremony. There'll be plenty of time for that later, she kept telling herself.

Finally, the ceremony was concluded, and everyone, including Kevin and Kestra, put their clothing back on.

* * *

That night Kestra, wearing a lacy and very revealing negligee, lounged on the bed, pretending to read a magazine. She listened for the sound of the running water to stop, indicating that Kevin had finished his shower. A few minutes later, the bedroom door swung open, and Kevin strolled into the bedroom, completely naked, drying himself with a towel, his wet curly locks dripping tiny water droplets onto the carpet. Kestra put the magazine down and gave him a sultry smile.

_Mmmm Imzadi._

Kevin sat on the bed next to her, gathered her into his arms, and began kissing her passionately.

"Let's get rid of this, shall we?"

He helped her out of her negligee, and they lay back on the bed, reliving the passion of that long-ago day in the Jalara Jungle, this time on the silky comfort of satin sheets rather than the hard surface of a sun-heated rock.


	6. Deanna: The Boy From The Dream

Deanna was at the wedding of a friend when she saw him. He had grown up by now, of course, but she immediately recognized the clear blue eyes and the dimple in his chin, and her heart beat faster. Then she noticed the attractive blonde he was with and, disappointed, turned her attention back to the wedding.

Later, at the reception, she happened to glance up and he was there. Alone. Up close he was even more captivating, and his smile was absolutely irresistible.

"Hi, I'm Will Riker."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Riker. I'm Deanna Troi."

"Please, no Mr. Riker. Just Will." His teeth were perfectly white and straight, and he smelled of expensive cologne.

"Where's your friend?"

"She went to the powder room. By the way, it's not the way it looks. Her dad's a good friend of mine, and I'm here as a favor to him. That's all."

Will lowered his voice. "Hey Deanna, would it be all right if I called you sometime? I'd really love to see you again."

Deanna's mouth was open, but before she could get the words out, his expression had changed. "Oops! There she is now! Gotta run!" He disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Deanna shaking her head in disbelief.

* * *

_I met him today, Kestra. The boy from my dream._

Kestra, heavily pregnant with her first child, was staying on Betazed with Lwaxana and Deanna while Kevin was completing a work assignment on Klingon. He planned to be back on Betazed before the baby was born. In the meantime, she and Kevin communicated daily.

Kestra looked at her sister with interest. _Who is he?_

_His name's Will Riker. He was at the wedding with another girl, but he told me that he was only there as a favor to her father._

Kestra's expression changed to one of concern. _You be careful, Dee._

_I'm a couple of years older now than you were when you first met Kevin._

_I know that. But you're not me. And this Will Riker isn't Kevin, either._

_

* * *

_

Deanna was packing to return to her psychology courses at the University of Betazed when Kestra knocked and asked if she could come into the bedroom. From the expression on her sister's face, Deanna knew that she wanted to talk about something important.

"I just heard from Kevin," Kestra began. "He knows Will Riker well. They served on the _USS Pegasus _together. The girl Will attended the wedding with is Wendy Roper. Her father is a good friend of Will's."

Deanna felt relieved.

"Dee, I know that Will Riker is special to you, but Kevin told me he's a real playboy. He says that every time he sees Will, he has a different girl on his arm. He said that he thinks Will still has a lot of wild oats to sow and that he won't be ready to settle down any time soon." Kestra gently touched her sister's arm. "I'm really sorry, Dee. But I felt that I had to tell you this because I don't want to see you get hurt."

Deanna was crestfallen. She generally trusted Kestra to be truthful, but she sincerely hoped that her sister was wrong in this case. After all, he _had _told the truth about Wendy. She was just the daughter of a good friend, not a love interest. On the other hand, he had said good-bye to Deanna in what seemed to be a very hurried manner, as if he had had something to hide.

Deanna felt more perplexed than she had ever felt before. There was, of course, no denying the fact that she felt strongly attracted to Will Riker, much more strongly than she had ever felt to any other young man. However, she knew from experience that the advice of her sister and brother-in-law was never to be lightly cast aside.

Deanna returned to the University of Betazed and her psychology courses, and for a while she was too focused on that to give much thought to her encounter with the boy from her dream.

However, on a subsequent visit home, she received an unexpected phone call.

"It's for you, Dee! Someone named Will Riker," Lwaxana announced.

Paralyzed with indecision, Deanna could feel the conflicting emotions raging inside her.

_I never felt before the way I felt when I was around him._

_Yes, but what about what Kestra said?_

_I think it's worth taking the chance. What's the worst that could happen?_

_I could end up becoming just another notch in his belt, just another virgin he could brag of having deflowered._

This last thought filled her heart with fear; cold, icy fear.

Quickly she sent a thought message to her mother. _Tell him I'm not in._

As soon as the thought had been communicated, bitter regret flooded Deanna's soul. _Now I'll probably never hear from him again, _she thought miserably._  
_


	7. Kestra: Becoming A Mother

Kestra arose awkwardly from the chair she had been sitting in. Standing up from a sitting position was getting more and more difficult, and she sometimes felt as if her nine-month-pregnant body might topple right over. She was glowing with happiness because she had just heard from Kevin. She kept repeating his final words to her over and over again in her mind, savoring them like the lingering taste of an after-dinner mint.

"I live for the day my assignment here on Klingon is finished and I can be with you once again. Your face is the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing on my mind before I fall asleep at night. How I long to hear your voice and to feel your touch once again. I can't wait for the day our sweet baby is finally here. I can't tell you how much I look forward to the day I can finally look into that precious little face. Until then, every day of work here brings me one day closer to the day we'll finally be together again. I love you with all my heart and soul, dear Kestra. I can't say it enough times. Please, please take good care of yourself and our darling baby. All my love, Kevin."

Deanna was home on semester break from the University of Betazed, so she would be present for the baby's birth as well. She and Kestra had had so much fun shopping for the baby, picking out furniture and decorations for the nursery, cute little outfits and booties. Deanna almost felt as if it were her baby too. She saw Kestra's smile and felt her happiness, and was very happy herself. She couldn't wait to be an aunt.

There was no message from Kevin the next day. Kestra was disappointed but not particularly surprised; sometimes Kevin's work load for the day didn't allow him time enough to send a message home.

Another day passed with no word from Klingon, then another, and suddenly an entire week had passed with no news. Kestra was beside herself with worry. It occurred to her that Kevin might be so eager to get home that he was working overtime to get the work completed as soon as possible; still an entire week with no communication at all seemed highly unusual.

Deanna saw her sister's worried expression and was concerned.

_Still no word from Kevin?_

_None at all. Surely if something were wrong he would let me know._

_Don't think like that, Kestra. He's just really busy; that's all. You'll hear from him soon._

A couple of days later a message finally came, not from Kevin, but from his commanding officer.

"We were attacked by Romulans several days ago. We were caught completely unawares and so were unable to launch an adequate defense. A large part of our base has been completely destroyed, and many of our crew are dead, wounded, or unaccounted for. I regret to inform you that Kevin O'Reilly is among those unaccounted for. Please be assured that we will continue to search diligently for him and the others until they are all located."

Kestra clasped her head in both hands and screamed. "No! No!"

Deanna approached her in an attempt to offer comfort, but Kestra pushed her away. "Oh, Kevin, Kevin!" Deanna held her sister's body tightly as Kestra collapsed into hysterical sobbing. She stroked Kestra's back and wished that she could think of something comforting to say, but she felt so useless. Romulans. How like them to throw a monkey wrench into her sister's plans.

* * *

Kestra was awakened in the wee hours of the next morning by a piercing pain across her abdomen. She knew that this was different from the false contractions she had been experiencing on and off for the past couple of weeks. Those had been intense but painless, whereas this one actually _hurt._ After a few seconds, the pain faded and she dozed back to sleep, only to be awakened again within minutes by another pain just like it.

_It can't be. _Desperately, her mind fought to deny what she knew was true. _Not now! Kevin isn't here!_

Kestra silently lay there, dozing briefly, only to be startled awake again and again by the pains which came at somewhat regular intervals, until the rays of the rising sun peeked through the curtains of the window.

Soon Lwaxana and Deanna had arisen and were preparing for their day. Deanna glanced curiously at Kestra, who was still lying motionless in bed.

_What's wrong, Kestra?_

_I think...I think the baby's coming now, Deanna._

Instantly Lwaxana was involved.

_For how long have you been having contractions?_

_Since early this morning, Mom. _

_How close together are they coming?_

_A few minutes apart. I don't know exactly._

Lwaxana sensed when Kestra's next contraction began, when it faded, and when the next one began.

_They don't seem to be very close together yet. You've still got a few more hours._

_But Mom, Kevin isn't here! _Kestra wept tears of despair as Deanna sat silently at the head of her bed, gently sweeping Kestra's hair back from her forehead.

It was about noon when Kestra felt a flood of warm water drench the mattress she was lying on.

_Oh my God, my water just broke!_

"It won't be long now," Lwaxana stated. She and Deanna helped move Kestra to a chair temporarily so that they could change her sheets. Kestra sobbed helplessly, dimly aware of what was happening. _Oh Kevin, Kevin..._

Soon evening shadows were falling. Every contraction now made Kestra scream with pain as her abdomen became rock hard. As the contractions became stronger and closer together, she began to feel the overwhelming urge to bear down. At first she fought it with all her might, determined not to bring her child into the world without its father being there. Quickly she became exhausted from the pain and allowed her body to do what came naturally to it.

"I can see the top of its head!" Deanna cried excitedly.

Just then all three women heard the doorbell ringing loudly. Not just ringing. Someone was holding down on the button so that it rang continuously. "Who's there?" Lwaxana called.

"It's me! Kevin! Open up! Please!" Lwaxana undid the latch, and he rushed inside with such force that he nearly knocked her over.

He was dirty and unshaven, and his hair was a wild, tangled mess, but Kestra was filled with joy at the sight of him. _Imzadi! I knew you would come!_

He saw immediately what was happening and rushed to her side.

_Keep pushing, good girl, you're almost there..._

Another contraction came, and this time Kestra pushed with all her might. The baby's head crowned as Kevin and Deanna watched excitedly.

_Oh darling, you're nearly there...just one more push..._

Tears of joy streamed down Kestra's face as she pushed once more and felt the entire little body slide out.

"It's a boy!" Kevin's voice was jubilant. "Oh, Imzadi, I love you so much."

"Let me see him." Kestra's voice was weak. Deanna gently laid the baby on her chest, and she touched him ever so gently, marveling at the softness of his skin. _Hello there, little one. _As he opened his slate blue eyes and gazed at his mother, Kestra had never felt such overpowering love before. She stroked his soft, wispy hair, touched his tiny hands and stroked his perfect little fingers, touched his feet and marveled at the perfection of his tiny little toes. The she looked at Kevin, his face worn and haggard but glowing with joy.

"How did you get away from the Romulans?" The baby's lips were searching, and Kestra gently guided them to a nipple.

"Pure luck plus determination." Kevin adjusted the pillows behind Kestra's back so that she could nurse the baby more comfortably.

"Hid out with a couple of buddies in an underground cave for about a week. Nothing to eat but grubs, and nothing to drink but ground water. Found a rusty piece of tin that would serve as a weapon. Waited until I saw a Romulan officer nearby, alone and unguarded. Sneaked up behind him and held the business end of the rusty tin against his neck. 'You're taking me to Betazed right now, or I'm about to give you a severe case of tetanus,' I told him. I guess the guy didn't want to lose his good looks because he didn't struggle. I grabbed his phaser from his belt with my other hand. After that it was easy."

"You must be starving," Deanna said.

Kevin looked at her gratefully. "I'll eat later. Right now what's most important is making sure that my wife and child are all right."

"Have something to eat, Kevin," Kestra urged. "We're both fine."

Kevin lovingly stroked the newborn's soft fuzzy head and kissed it. Then he hugged and kissed Kestra and let Deanna lead him into the kitchen.

"Have you decided upon a name?" Lwaxana wanted to know.

"His name is Donovan Ian Troi O'Reilly. Donovan was Kevin's father's name," Kestra told her.

"I see." Lwaxana would have preferred that the child's first name be 'Ian' rather than 'Donovan'.

"You've had nothing to eat all day long either, Kestra," Deanna said. As if on cue, Kestra's stomach growled, and both women laughed.

After Kestra had eaten and nursed baby Donovan again, she lay the sleeping baby in a crib beside her bed, then lay down herself and fell asleep almost instantly. After Kevin had eaten and showered, he lay down in bed beside her and was asleep within seconds, his arm wrapped protectively around Kestra's body.

"It sure is good to have everyone here together at last," Deanna said with a smile.


	8. Deanna: Stood Up On Risa

"Please don't be afraid. I promise I won't hurt you." Will's words were soothing to Deanna, but they did nothing to slow the rapid beat of her heart. Yes, there was fear; of course there was, but not the dread one felt at the thought of disaster such as a storm or enemy attack. Rather, it was the exciting, almost fun kind of fear one felt at the top of a roller coaster just before the steep descent at top speed.

How in the world had she ended up at the Janara Falls in the Jalara Jungle with Will Riker, the handsome, charming rake everyone had warned her about? It definitely wasn't what she had planned.

He had called her at her mother's home several times, and each time, remembering Kestra's warning, she had made some excuse not to talk to him. Then one day he had just shown up on her doorstep, and there had been no time to run and hide. Her mother had been in a different room in the house and hadn't even heard the doorbell ring, so Deanna had been the one to answer the door.

"Hello, Deanna. You look very nice today," he had said, wearing his irresistible smile and handing her a chameleon rose.

"Hi, Will," she had said awkwardly.

"I've tried to reach you by phone several times, but had no luck." His eyes were oh-so-serious. "I really want to talk to you, Deanna."

"What's there to talk about?" she had asked, rather curtly.

"Deanna, please, listen to me. I know what everyone says about me, and to a certain extent it's true, but ever since I met you at that wedding, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I can truthfully say that I have never met another woman who can even compare to you, Deanna Troi. Since I met you, I've had absolutely no desire to be with any other woman except you. Won't you please give me a chance? I promise you won't be disappointed."

"Well..." Indecision had tormented her. Kestra's words haunted her, and yet...his eyes seemed to hold nothing but sincerity, and he sounded so convincing.

_Oh, why not go out with him one time, just to get him to leave you alone. What would you have to lose? _a voice inside her head had told her.

"All right," she had finally said.

* * *

She could feel the intensity of his passion as he kissed her, and the hot touch of his fingers as they caressed her body felt electric. She barely noticed as he gently peeled her shirt away from her skin and unhooked her bra. She felt her nipples harden against his skin as he gently fondled them, and when he began to suckle them, she felt such a burning longing deep inside that it was all she could do not to cry out. He removed the rest of her clothing and kissed her down to her belly button, then continued until he was exploring her most intimate parts with his tongue. She felt the first wave of her orgasm wash over her and began to tremble and moan with pleasure, the sounds coming automatically from deep within her throat. Then he was on top of her, moving inside her and sending more waves of pleasure reverberating throughout her entire body. Under the jungle sky, they surrendered to one another, merging body and soul to become one. _Imzadi._

_

* * *

_

Risa. Probably the most sensuous planet in the Alpha Quadrant. Tropical resorts, pristine beaches, the Suraya Bay, the Galartha cliff. And her Imzadi would be there to share it all with her. It had been only six weeks ago, in the Jalara Jungle, that they had made their plans. A much-needed vacation for both of them. In her mind she could see the beach with its white sands and clear water, could hear the crashing waves, could feel Will's hands spreading suntan lotion all over her body. She smiled with anticipation as she imagined the relaxing scene.

Yet it was not to be. Will never arrived on Risa. Instead came a message she didn't want to read, but forced herself to do so anyway.

_My dearest Deanna,_

_I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but I must cancel our plans to vacation together on Risa. I have received a promotion to Lieutenant aboard the USS Potemkin. I have worked very hard for this opportunity, and I just can't bring myself to pass it up for any reason, no matter how tempting. You will always be very special to me, darling Deanna, and perhaps, if fate allows, our paths will cross again in the future. I have faith that that will be the case._

_All my love,_

_Will_

Deanna read and re-read the message, until the tears in her eyes made the words all swim together so that reading was no longer possible. _  
_


	9. Kestra: Playing Matchmaker

"So, how do you like Ireland in the summertime?" Kevin fed his wife a strawberry and then kissed her.

"I think it's simply beautiful," Kestra replied. She and Kevin, along with seven-year-old Donovan and five-year-old Deirdre, were visiting Kevin's family on Earth. Kestra sat in a lounge chair watching the children play while Kevin pruned his mother's shrubs.

"Mommy, Donny won't let me have my turn," Deirdre complained as she and her brother struggled over a ball.

"Tattletale." Donovan gave her the ball, and she looked at him triumphantly.

"Kids, play nice," Kevin said. He glanced at the letter his wife was holding. "Is that from your sister?"

Kestra sighed. "She's heartbroken. She and Will Riker were suppposed to vacation together on Risa, but he canceled out because of a job promotion."

"What a prick." Kevin snorted.

"I wish there were something I could say to make her feel better," Kestra said.

"Tell her there are plenty of fish in the ocean," Kevin suggested.

"She told me that Will became her Imzadi in the Jalara Jungle after he rescued her from some Sindareen raiders."

"Does he know that?"

"She says that she told him and he accepted it."

"Well, it could have been wishful thinking on her part. After all, we did warn her about what he was like."

"Poor Dee. I hope this experience hasn't caused her to give up on all men."

"She's young. I'm sure she'll bounce back."

"I hope you're right."

Suddenly Kestra had an idea. _Of course!_ she thought.

* * *

Wyatt Miller was relaxing by his family's swimming pool when he received a phone call.

"Hi, Wyatt. This is Kestra Troi O'Reilly, Lwaxana's older daughter."

"Lwaxana? Haven't heard from her in ages."

"Listen, Wyatt, if you're not busy this Saturday, we would love to have you over for dinner. My mother was just talking yesterday about how nice it would be to see you both again. I offered to make the call for her."

"Sounds fine to me. I'll mention it to my mom."

In truth, Lwaxana had never mentioned the Millers, but Kestra had been smart enough to get her mother's permission before planning the get together.

* * *

"How does this one look?" Deanna was modeling dresses for Kestra, who had offered to help her choose an outfit for dinner at their mother's on Saturday. Deanna didn't really understand why choosing just the right dress was so important, as Victoria Miller was merely an old friend of her mother's with whom Lwaxana had pretty much fallen out of touch anyway, but Kestra had been insistent.

"Nice...but I think the other one complemented your eyes better."

"Do you really think Victoria Miller is going to notice how well my dress complements my eyes?"

"Of course she will, Deanna. You always want to look your best."

Kestra and Deanna finally chose the dress they thought would look best and set it aside for Saturday evening's dinner.

"Now to choose the right shades of make-up," Kestra announced.

Deanna groaned inwardly, and Kestra scowled at her. Sometimes having a telepathic sister could be such a pain.

* * *

Finally the big night arrived. Lwaxana, Kevin, Kestra, and Deanna sat in the den awaiting the arrival of their guests. Lwaxana thought it curious that Kestra had suggested entertaining the Millers, but she hoped that it would at least prove to be a distraction for Deanna, who was still feeling very down about her ruined vacation plans. Kevin and Kestra were eager to see how well Kestra's plan would work. Deanna was glad for something to take her mind off her predicament, even if only temporarily.

The doorbell rang, and everyone sprang to life, arranging chairs and chattering excitedly. Kestra heard Deanna's sharp intake of breath when Wyatt walked in, and she felt her sister's eyes boring into her skin.

_You didn't tell me _he _was coming too._

_You wouldn't have come yourself if I had._

That was probably true, but now that Deanna had seen Wyatt as a young adult, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. He was good-looking, but in a different way than Will; while Will had a chubby baby face, Wyatt's face was longer, thinner, and more angular. He had the same dark brown hair, but his was longer than Will's, and his eyes were a dark greenish blue.

"So you're Deanna." He extended his hand. "I can't believe how beautiful you've grown up to be."

"Thank you, Wyatt." Deanna blushed furiously. His hand in hers was warm, soft, and firm, and she felt that she could lose herself in his eyes.

Throughout the meal, Wyatt maintained almost constant eye contact with Deanna and smiled at her frequently. Later, Deanna realized with a start that Will hadn't even crossed her mind since she had first laid eyes on Wyatt that evening.

After dinner, Wyatt and Deanna went for a stroll on the grounds while Lwaxana and Kestra tidied up.

"So what are you doing these days?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm a psychologist at Darona."

"Good for you! I'm in my last year of medical school. I start my internship in a few months."

"So they'll soon be calling you 'Dr. Miller' then."

"Hey, some people already do." They both laughed.

"God, Deanna, I haven't seen you since you were...what, six, seven maybe?"

"Not since my dad was alive."

"That was such a terrible tragedy, such a shock to all of us. He was far too nice of a guy for something like that to happen to."

Deanna didn't reply. The subject of her father's death was still a very painful one for her, even after all these years.

Wyatt gently touched Deanna's chin. "Listen, Deanna, I've really enjoyed getting to know you all over again. I'd love to see you again if that would be all right."

Deanna beamed.

* * *

Kestra and Kevin were sitting in the living room talking when Wyatt and Deanna strolled back into the house, arm in arm, deeply engrossed in animated conversation with each other. Kestra smiled and winked at her husband. Deanna's broken heart was going to mend just fine.


	10. Deanna: Encounter At Farpoint

"I'm very pleased to meet you, sir," Deanna said, shaking the hand of her new supervisor, Captain Jean-Luc Picard. She and Wyatt had both been assigned posts aboard the newly formed _USS Enterprise, _Deanna as Counselor and Wyatt as Assistant Medical Officer.

"The pleasure is mine." Picard brought Deanna's hand to his lips and kissed it. He was around sixty, of average size, and almost completely bald. His hazel eyes looked intelligent and kind, and Deanna liked his smile.

Next he turned to Wyatt. "My new Assistant Medical Officer. Welcome aboard." Wyatt smiled and shook his hand, and the two of them introduced themselves to the other new crew members: Chief of Security Tasha Yar, her assistant, the Klingon, Worf, engineer Geordi Laforge, and the android Lieutenant Commander Data who, except for his pale yellowish skin tone and amber eyes, looked to Deanna to be completely human.

From Picard, Tasha, Worf, and Geordi, Deanna sensed mild pleasant emotions, but from Data, she sensed nothing at all. She looked at him with concern.

"Do you feel all right, Data?" she asked.

"I am incapable of feeling anything, either physical or emotional," he told her.

"Of course! I should have realized that." She smiled apologetically. "You see, Data, I am half Betazoid and so can sometimes sense emotions in others."

"I have always been very curious about human emotions. So much so that I would gladly trade all my superior android abilities to be able to feel them."

Deanna was at a loss for words. How did one explain emotions to an android? It would be like trying to describe a sunset to someone born blind, or a symphony to someone born deaf. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears, and she laid a gentle hand on Data's arm.

"Please do not pity me, Counselor. There is no need to, as I am incapable of feeling sadness or disappointment. I do, however, find it intriguing that while I feel no emotions at all, you feel not only your own, but those of others as well."

"You're absolutely right. That _is _an intriguing concept." Deanna couldn't help but laugh, and Data smiled gently. Deanna found herself irresistibly drawn to him. She thought he was one of the most interesting and personable beings she had ever met.

"It can be overwhelming for me when I'm in the presence of someone who is experiencing a strong negative emotion such as anger, fear, or sadness."

"I can certainly understand how that could be the case." Data sounded sympathetic. "It must be a real challenge in your occupation as a Counselor."

"Indeed it is." Considering that Data was the first android she had ever met, Deanna was amazed at how naturally their conversation seemed to flow. "But when I'm able to help someone else to come to terms with one of life's difficulties, to make peace with a situation, then somehow to me it all seems worth it."

Little did Deanna realize at the time how quickly her own ability to make peace with the past would be put to the test.

* * *

"Our destination is Farpoint Station, on the planet Cygnus IV," Picard informed his crew. "That's where we will pick up our new First Officer and Chief Medical Officer."

"I certainly hope that my new boss is nice." Wyatt grinned.

When Picard said the name of his new First Officer, Deanna felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. _Oh my God, _she thought. _Out of all the people in the universe, why does it have to be him?_

Wyatt noticed how pale Deanna looked.

"Are you all right, honey?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," she told him. "I just feel a bit weak right now. I think I'd better just lie down for a bit."

She went to her new quarters, but she didn't lie down. She sat on the edge of the bed and attempted to grasp what an incredible coincidence it was that the man who had left her life so abruptly was now about to enter it again, this time as her new superior officer.

_I shared my body and mind with him, allowed him to touch my soul. I thought that it would be forever, that he would always be there for me._

Yet three years had passed, three years in which she had shared her body with Wyatt and fallen in love with him. Even so, she still couldn't quite bring herself to call Wyatt 'Imzadi.' One had only one Imzadi in a lifetime, and she had already met - and lost - hers. The relationship with Wyatt had been her way of putting the past behind her, of moving on to a new life, and she thought that she had done an excellent job of doing that...until now.

* * *

She splashed cold water on her face and returned to her post. Wyatt glanced at her curiously but didn't say anything.

As the time when she knew she would see his face again grew nearer, her trepidation grew stronger. Would she be able to handle it with dignity? To put on a strong front? To act as if she were totally fine with the whole thing? How well would he now be able to read her emotions? Could he still sense what she was thinking? All of a sudden it was extremely important to her to know the answer to that last question. Her eagerness to discover it almost overrode her uneasiness at the thought of seeing him again.

* * *

She watched him walk in from the Ready Room with Picard as she was emerging from the turbolift, saw the stunned look on his face as Picard introduced them.

_Do you remember what I taught you, Imzadi? Can you still sense my thoughts?_

She extended her hand. "A pleasure, Commander."

"I, ah...likewise, Counselor." It was the first time she had ever seen him virtually speechless.

"Have the two of you met before?" Picard asked him, noticing their expressions.

"We...we have, sir," he told Picard.

As the three of them headed for the turbolift, she looked back at him calmly.

_I, too, would never say goodbye, Imzadi._

_

* * *

_

"You know him from somewhere before, don't you?" Wyatt asked.

"Who?" Deanna feigned innocence.

"You know who. That new First Officer. Riker."

Deanna bristled at the accusatory tone in Wyatt's voice.

"He was temporarily stationed on Betazed several years ago. We dated on and off for a while. Nothing serious."

To Deanna's great relief, Wyatt seemed satisfied with her explanation.

"Turns out my boss knew Picard many years ago as well. Her husband served under Picard on the _USS Stargazer, _until he was killed in the line of duty. Small universe, isn't it?' He laughed.

"Indeed it is." Deanna smiled tiredly.

* * *

She knew that it would be him before she even opened the door.

"Come in, Will," she said pleasantly, motioning toward the sofa.

"Deanna...I don't know where to start. Just to say 'I'm sorry' seems inadequate, doesn't it?"

"There's nothing to apologize for. You followed your heart, as we all must do."

"I hurt you. You didn't deserve that."

She placed a comforting hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. "I'm fine, Will. Honest, I am. I have a whole new life now."

"You're in love with Beverly's assistant, aren't you?" He looked absolutely miserable.

"Yes, Will, I am." _You didn't seriously expect me to just wait around for you to come back to me, did you?_

He winced, and she felt his pain.

"I just want you to know one thing, Deanna. I will always be here for you if you need me. Please don't hesitate to come to me for anything at all. When we're on duty, I'm your boss, but when we aren't, I'm your friend." His voice developed an edge. "As for Beverly's assistant, I hope he realizes how lucky he is. He'd better treat you right, or he'll have me to answer to." He looked at her with such longing in his eyes that it nearly broke her heart.

"Thank you, Will." She smiled, and he reached to tentatively hug her. She embraced him warmly, and he reciprocated, looking genuinely happy for the first time since they had been reunited.


	11. Kestra: Time Bend

_A/N: I just absolutely love the song 'Fields of Athenry' and wanted so badly to write a story about it, and thought that here might be a good place to do so. I hope everyone likes it. :)_

"Here are a couple of distant ancestors of mine," Kevin told Kestra, handing her a very fragile black-and-white photograph. "They lived in the last part of the nineteenth century, during the potato famine. The husband was caught stealing food so that his family wouldn't starve, and he was sent to a penal colony in Australia. His wife never saw him again, and she had to raise their little boy all by herself."

"Oh, Kevin, that's so sad." Kestra examined the photo carefully. The couple were young, in their early twenties at the most. Both their faces bore the worn, haggard look of desperation. He was tall and dark-haired with dark eyes, and his arm was protectively around his wife. She was beautiful, with fair hair and light-colored eyes, wearing a sweet smile. She was holding a little boy of perhaps two or three, but his face had none of the chubbiness typical of that age; instead it was thin and gaunt, and his cheeks looked sunken.

Suddenly Kestra found herself standing not in her own living room, but in a green field beside a high stone wall. She knew that on the other side of the wall was a prison, and that her husband, Michael, was inside it. She also knew that her own name was Mary and that she was very afraid. She wondered whether he could hear her is she shouted to him.

"Michael!" There was no response. She called to him several more times, and finally she heard his voice, faint but distinct. "Mary! Over here!"

She searched until she found the small opening from which his voice emanated.

"Here I am! Can ye hear me?"

"Tis Australia we'll be sailin' for in the morn." His voice was weary and resigned.

"Oh, Michael, my love, tis never I'll see ye again then."

"Never ye mind." Kestra could hear the deep sadness in his voice. "Ye take good care of our Paddy. Ye must raise him to be a proud and noble man, to love our people and our land and to honor our traditions, and never let him forget how much his father loves him."

"Oh, Michael, I promise I won't." Kestra struggled to speak through heavy sobs.

* * *

The following morning dawned dark and gloomy. Holding little Paddy by the hand, Kestra began her journey to the harbor, where she knew waited the ship that would take Michael away from them forever.

"Where's Daddy?" Little Paddy's innocent question nearly broke Kestra's heart. How could she tell a boy of three that he would never see his father again?

"He has to go away for a while," she said calmly. "But everything is going to be all right. We must pray that he has a safe journey." She clasped her rosary tightly in her hand, felt her thumb slide over the cool round beads.

Paddy was crying, and she did her best to comfort him as she watched the ship sail away until it was just a tiny dot in the ocean. She thought of how Michael had loved the vibrant green of the rolling hills and wondered whether or not Australia had rolling hills. As she stood holding her child and mourning her lost love, the chorus of a song came to her. She had never heard it before, but the melody was beautiful and haunting and flowed through her mind over and over again.

_Low lie the fields of Athenry  
Where once we watched the small free birds fly  
Our love was on the wing  
We had dreams and songs to sing  
It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry_

_

* * *

_

"I know it sounds crazy, Kevin, but it's true. I was there; I saw the prison, I saw the ship, I heard and felt everything. It was just like I became her." Kestra tried to explain her incredible experience to her husband, as she stills struggled to understand it herself.

"And all this came about simply as a result of holding a photograph and looking at it? Kestra, I know you Betazoids have special abilities, but this just seems so far fetched to me. How did you know all of that? The names, the details, everything?"

"I can't explain it, Kevin. I just know that I know."

"Well, then, I suppose I'd better not show you any more of my old family photos." Kevin gave an uneasy chuckle.

"No, please, Kevin, I want to know. Even if it sometimes means feeling their pain, I still want to know about your family. I care about them because I care about you, and our children."

"I wonder what life in Australia was like for Michael?" Kevin mused. "I wonder how Paddy fared growing up? It had to have been very difficult without his father being there."

"One thing I know for sure," Kestra replied. "His mother loved him very much." Kestra thought of her own children asleep in their beds, and how much she loved them. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for Michael, knowing that he would never see his son again."

"He did what he had to do. Times were unbelievably hard back then. I can't tell you how grateful I am that I live in the twenty-fourth century," Kevin said.

He and Kestra sat together on the sofa for a long time, holding hands, with the melody and words of the song 'Fields of Athenry' still going through Kestra's mind over and over again.


	12. Deanna: Love Lost

_A/N: This chapter is very loosely based on episode #11, 'Haven'. I adjusted the details somewhat to accommodate the fact that in my story, Wyatt and Deanna have already been romantically involved for several years before the events mentioned in that episode occurred. _

"But why Haven?" Deanna asked. She and Wyatt were discussing plans for their upcoming wedding. Deanna had been surprised but delighted when Wyatt had proposed to her. She had felt that the relationship she and Wyatt shared was warm and loving, and although it wasn't as passionate as the brief one she had shared with Will on Betazed, she knew that they were both genuinely fond of one another. Even so, she hadn't realized that he had been that serious about wanting it to become permanent.

"Haven is believed to be possessed of healing powers. That seems appropriate, considering my occupation." Wyatt smiled.

"We will have to let my mother know," Deanna said.

"Mine too. But there will be time enough for that." Wyatt gave her a long, intimate kiss.

* * *

"I just wanted to say congratulations. Wyatt's a lucky man. I hope he makes you happy." Deanna felt his resigned sadness.

"Thank you very much, Will," she said. "It was so kind of you to drop by."

He stood uneasily in the doorway, feeling that he should probably leave but not really wanting to.

"Why don't you stay and have a drink," Deanna invited.

"Thanks." Looking relieved, he entered her living room and sat no her sofa. She poured drinks for both of them and sat on the sofa beside him.

"So, will you be staying on the _Enterprise?" _he asked.

"For the time being. Wyatt wants to become chief medical officer someday, so if that position ever comes open on another starship, chances are we would leave if he were offered the position." Her voice was full of sympathy. "That will be painful for you, won't it, seeing us together on this ship."

He swirled his drink and watched the ice cubes settle. "I have no one to blame but myself. I had my chance, and I blew it," he said softly.

Deanna placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Will. It just wasn't meant to be, that's all. It's neither your fault nor my fault. Some day you will meet the woman who's right for you, and when that happens, everything will make sense."

He stared sullenly at the glass. "One has only one Imzadi in a lifetime. You told me that yourself."

She was silent. There were simply no more words left to say to him.

He fnished his drink quickly and took the empty glass to the kitchen sink. "I'd better be going," he said gruffly.

* * *

"My name is Wrenn...and before I inquire why you've trapped us here, is there one aboard your vessel named Wyatt?" The words were spoken by the middle-aged man whose image now appeared on the main viewer beside that of the attractive blonde.

"Your business is with me, sir. I am Captain Picard, commanding this starship," Picard told him.

The man addressing Picard was a Tarellian, one of eight survivors aboard a starship contaminated by a virus that had been caused by a biological weapon. The Tarellians had been believed to be extinct, until their ship had been discovered in orbit around the planet Haven.

Suddenly Wyatt appeared on the bridge, saw the image on the main viewer, and stared in disbelief.

"I can't believe this! Ariana was right! He is there, daughter," Wrenn exclaimed.

"Wyatt, you've come to us. Just as you promised," Ariana said.

* * *

"I saw her in a dream," Wyatt told Deanna. "She summoned me. She needs me to heal her people. I have access to the medicines and supplies that can help them. I can't... I _won't..._let her, and them, down."

"But how will you get it to them?" Deanna asked. "If you beam aboard their vessel, you will become infected with the virus too and can never return to the _Enterprise." _Her eyes pled with him to reconsider.

Wyatt seemed to struggle with indecision.

"It would mean that we could never be together again," Deanna went on. "Do the past three years mean so little to you that you would throw them all away for the sake of a woman you've never even met before?"

Wyatt suddenly looked angry. "Don't be selfish, Deanna. There are eight people suffering from a virus aboard that ship, and I'm the only one who can help them."

"So the fact that I don't want to lose the love of my life seems selfish to you, does it?" Deanna retorted.

Wyatt's expression said that he had made up his mind. "I know what I must do. And neither you nor anyone else is going to stop me." With that he barged away in the direction of sickbay. Deanna followed him. "Please, Wyatt..."

"Leave me alone, Deanna!" he said sharply. His words cut through her like a knife. Her eyes full of tears, Deanna turned sadly away. A few moments later she heard a commotion coming from the direction of the bridge. Curious, she went to see what had happened.

"Captain! Someone's transporting to the Tarellian ship," Geordi announced.

"Override!" Picard ordered.

"I can't, sir. It's too late."

Deanna felt her heart plummet.

Within a few moments, Wyatt, Ariana, and Wrenn appeared on the bridge viewer screen.

"Forgive me, but I must...I'm going to try to cure these people," Wyatt said.

"And Wyatt will do it. I've believed that all along," Ariana added.

Wyatt put his arm around Ariana. "I knew I was coming to Haven to meet my destiny. I thought it was to be with you, Deanna. But it was Ariana who drew me here. I'm sorry."

"My respects, Captain," said Wrenn.

"And mine, sir," said Picard.

The Tarellian image began to fade from the screen. Deanna stared at the screen long after it had gone black.

* * *

Hours later she sat glumly in Ten Forward, stirring her drink with a straw while she watched beads of moisture collect on the inside of the glass. She hadn't felt this depressed since...since that episode on Risa three years previously. What was it with her and men? Was there something about her that drove them away?

She sensed his presence before he spoke. "Mind if I join you?" he asked gently. She shook her head, and he sat down opposite her. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. The silence began to unnerve her.

"Well, at least now I won't have to listen to my mother and Mrs. Miller argue over whether to have Betazed or Earth traditions at the wedding," she finally said with a weak smile.

He covered her hand with his own. "I'm so sorry, Deanna."

"Well, I suppose Wyatt and I were just another thing that wasn't meant to be."

"He didn't deserve you, Dee."

She gave a sharp laugh.

"Remember what you said to me just a short time ago? 'Some day you will meet the woman who's right for you, and when that happens, everything will make sense.' Well, I guess the shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?"He grinned amiably.

"Don't make fun of me, Will."

"You know I would never do that, Dee."

She realized that he meant to be kind, and it touched her. Suddenly she felt a longing that she hadn't felt in a long time, felt it with such force that it nearly took her breath away.

"Will you please stay with me tonight, Will? I really don't feel like being alone."

He looked started. "Are you sure that's what you want, Dee?"

"Please." She was almost in tears.

"Then of course I will, Imzadi."

* * *

The following morning, she slowly awakened as she felt the impact of the previous day's events pouring into her consciousness like an avalanche. She glanced Will's dark brown hair in disarray on the pillow beside her. He was still sound asleep, one arm wrapped protectively around her. She thought that perhaps she should get up but didn't want to disturb him, and besides, it felt so good to have him so close by once again.

She thought about her actions of the previous night and felt deeply ashamed. _What a whiny, needy, helpless, clingy person I came across as! What will he think of me now? I've always tried to put on such a brave front around him, always wanted him to see me as proud, competent, cool, collected. Well, that sure as hell wasn't the side of me he saw last night._

Beside her Will stirred, and his eyes opened briefly before he grinned and hugged her tightly to himself once again. She yawned and snuggled further into his embrace.

"Hmm, so I wasn't dreaming after all." He whispered the words into her hair.

"Will?" she said uncertainly.

"What is it, hon?" Instantly he was wide awake, his voice full of concern.

"I...I just want to apologize for last night. I...I had no right to throw myself at you the way I did."

He laughed. "There's absolutely nothing at all to apologize for, Dee. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of last night. Wow, I had forgotten how much passion you have stored inside that hot little body. Didn't you enjoy it too?"

She smiled, and he grinned back and kissed her.

"It's just that I value your friendship and didn't want to ruin it by letting...you know...other feelings get in the way," she tried to explain.

"Dee, there's no way anything you did last night could possibly damage our friendship. Besides, if those 'other feelings', as you call them, are there, don't you think they deserve a chance to be expressed once in a while?"

"That's an excellent point." She laughed, and he laughed with her.

"Come on, girl, there's work to be done. Busy day ahead. After I fix you breakfast, of course."

"Will, you're too kind."

"Aw, it's the least I can do for you after the way you just knocked my socks off." He hugged and kissed her again and tousled her hair, and she knew that everything was going to be just fine.


	13. Kestra: Every Mother's Worst Nightmare

_A/N: This chapter is based on episode #17, 'When The Bough Breaks'._

"Aunt Deanna!" Deanna heard the joyful cry of her niece Deirdre and looked up from the psychological reports she had been working on. Deirdre rushed to her for a hug, with her brother Donovan only a couple of steps behind.

"My goodness, look how you've both grown!" After giving first Deirdre and then Donovan a big hug, Deanna stepped back and looked at both children. Ten-year-old Donovan had dark hair and dark eyes like his mother and grandmother. Eight-year-old Deirdre had the same dark eyes, but her hair was a lovely shade of auburn.

"When I grow up, I'm gonna be a psychologist like you, Aunt Deanna," Deirdre said.

"And I'm gonna be an engineer like my dad," Donovan added.

"No matter what you grow up to be, I'll always be very proud of both of you and love you both very much," Deanna assured them.

"Well, hello there, baby sister!" Suddenly Kestra was there, smiling and holding out her arms to Deanna.

"Kestra! It's been ages!" The two women hugged one another and kissed one another's cheeks.

"Where's Kevin?"

"He's part of an away team investigating a newly discovered planet. I had some leave time, and I wanted to divide it between visiting Mom on Betazed and visiting you. Look what she and I found while going through her storage."

"I don't believe it! My Cowboy Ralph books! Dad used to read these to me all the time when I was little!"

"Mom and I thought you'd like to have those to keep."

"Thank you so much, Kestra." Deanna could feel tears forming in her eyes as she gingerly touched the worn volumes. Seeing them brought back such vivid memories of her father.

"Let me get you settled in your quarters, and then I'm needed on the bridge." Deanna led Kestra and her children to one of the guest suites.

"So how do you like your Aunt Deanna's starship?" Kestra asked as she found places to store their clothing and other toiletries.

"It's all right, I guess. Does it have a Holodeck?" Donovan enjoyed playing competitive games and martial arts competitions.

"Of course it does. I'm sure your Aunt Deanna will show it to you soon."

"I wanna see what's on TV." Deirdre picked up the remote control.

"Hey, give me that." Donovan reached for it, but she held it just out of his reach.

"Stop that!" Kestra snapped. "We just got here and you two are already fighting."

"Sorry, Mom." Donovan gave up the struggle and plopped down on the sofa. Kestra picked up the remote and found a cartoon program.

"All right!" both children cheered.

* * *

It was several days before Kestra and Deanna really had the chance to talk in private. Kestra had noticed Wyatt's absence on the _Enterprise _right away and, deeply concerned, asked her sister about him.

"He's gone, Kes." Deanna's eyes were downcast, and she wore a mournful expression. "He met up with a group called the Tarellians and fell in love with one of their women, Ariana. He learned that they were all infected with a virus that had been caused by a biological weapon and left to try to find a cure for it."

"Oh Dee, I'm so sorry."

"There's more, Kes. You'll never in a million years guess who the first officer on this starship is."

"Him? No way!"

"I kid you not."

"Oh, Dee, that must be so awkward for you."

"It wasn't so bad at first, since Wyatt was here too. But now that he's gone..." Deanna didn't tell Kestra about the night of passion she and Will had shared after Wyatt had left. She considered it best not to, at least not at this time.

"You be careful, Dee. You're very emotionally vulnerable right now, and I'd hate to see you get hurt again."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Kes. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Deanna smiled bravely.

* * *

Kestra was finishing up some household chores when she noticed how strangely quiet it was. Curious, she checked to see if Donovan and Deirdre were in the living room, but they weren't there. She then checked each child's bedroom. She felt an icy finger of fear creeping up her spine.

"Donovan! Deirdre!" she called. Utter silence prevailed.

"Donovan! Deirdre!" Beginning to feel truly panicked, she shrieked their names, hearing nothing but the echo of her own voice bouncing off the walls.

She rushed into the hallway and ran toward the bridge, almost colliding with Deanna, who face was tear-streaked.

"Have you seen my children?" She tried to keep her voice as steady as she could.

Deanna shook her head sorrowfully. "They're gone, Kes. The Aldeans have taken them. They took Dr. Crusher's son Wesley and five other children as well."

"Aldeans?" Kestra was totally bewildered.

"They're a race that has been infertile for years. They tried to negotiate with Captain Picard to exchange some of the _Enterprise's _children for their advanced technological knowledge, as if children were nothing more than bargaining chattel!" Deanna was so upset that she had to pause for a breath. "When the captain refused, they took the children by force. A shield surrounds the planet, making it impossible for the children to be beamed back aboard."

The two women clung to one another and cried together.

* * *

Kestra, along with everyone else aboard the _Enterprise, _suddenly felt a tremendous jolt, followed by a spinning sensation. After a few moments, everything seemed normal again.

"The Aldeans have fired an energy weapon that sent us three days away from them at maximum warp as a demonstration of their advanced technological capabilities," Deanna told Kestra.

"I feel like it's been forever since I last saw them." Kestra struggled to speak without breaking down into sobs. "If only I could just hold them and tell them how much I love them one more time..."

Deanna, her own heart aching, yearned to say something of comfort to her sister, but she just couldn't find the words.

* * *

Kestra, hearing a commotion outside her quarters, opened the door to see what was going on.

"Mom!" Donovan and Deirdre rushed into their mother's arms.

"My babies!" Kestra clung to them as if she would never let them go. For a few moments she was too overwhelmed with joy to do anything but hold them and tell them over and over again how much she loved them and had missed them. Finally she looked up and found Deanna's eyes, which were sparkling with happiness and relief.

"The crew found a way to beam through the Aldeans' shield, and Will and Data went to the planet and disabled the computer controlling their shield so that Picard was able to beam the children back on board," she explained.

"Are you both all right? Did they treat you well?" Kestra asked the children.

Donovan nodded. It was fun at first. There was a man who taught me how to paint. He told me that if I stayed with them, I wouldn't have to take any subjects in school that I don't like. I could just stay with him and paint all the time. I painted a picture of a cowboy on horseback for Aunt Deanna because I know how much she likes cowboys and horses."

"After a while I started missing you, Mom. Wesley got us all together in a group and told us not to talk and not to eat anything until they let us come back to the _Enterprise. _He's really smart, Wesley is." Kestra could tell how much Donovan admired the older boy.

"How was it for you, sweetie?" Kestra turned to her daughter.

"There was a really nice lady, and she taught me how to play the harp. Can we get a harp when we get home, Mom?"

"We'll see about it, darling. Right now I'm just so happy to see the two or you again that that's all I can think about.' Kestra hugged and kissed them once more, and thought about what a debt of gratitude she owed Will Riker and Data.

* * *

Deanna found him sitting alone in Ten Forward, nursing a drink. He saw her, smiled, and motioned for her to join him.

"Will, I...I don't know how to tell you how much I appreciate what you and Data did for my sister and her children, as well as for the other families."

"I was just doing my job, Dee," he said cheerfully.

"I don't think I ever fully appreciated what a remarkable man you are, Will, until now."

"Well, my dear, flattery will get you everywhere." He gestured broadly and winked at her.

She smiled and blushed. "I really mean it, Will."

"Oh, I know you do." He patted her hand affectionately. "I'm just so happy that I was able to help."

"Well, goodnight, Will." She kissed him lightly on the lips and rose to return to her quarters. He sat smiling after her for a long time afterwards, lost in reverie.


	14. Deanna: Mermaid Tales

"My name is Aili Lavena," said the woman who had just beamed aboard the _Enterprise. _"I am a Selkie from the planet Pacifica, and this is my son, Veser."

Deanna gasped in disbelief. Lavena was one of the strangest looking humanoids she had ever seen. Her body seemed to be covered with blue-green scales, and her fingers were webbed. Her hair looked like green seaweed, and her eyes were very large and round. She was wearing a suit similar to that which a scuba diver might wear. Veser resembled his mother somewhat, except that his scales were fewer and sparser, and he had human-like dark brown hair and very large blue eyes. Except for their size, they looked eerily similar to another pair of blue eyes that Deanna was very familiar with. Instead of a suit like his mother's, Veser wore regular clothing.

"Veser wanted to meet his father, and I promised him that I would do what I could to find him," Lavena continued. "His father is William Riker."

Deanna sensed Will's astonishment, although his face showed no emotion.

Will looked at Lavena. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"There was no need to. Veser has only recently become curious about his father."

"But don't you think I had the right to know he existed?" Deanna sensed how upset Will was.

"I have business to attend to in the quadrant," Lavena said, ignoring Will's question. "I thought that it would give you and Veser an opportunity to get to know one another. I will leave him in your care and return for him shortly." With that, she was gone.

Veser looked questioningly at Will, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Would you like a quick tour of the _Enterprise?"_ Will asked.

"Oh ,yes! Is this your ship?"

"No, sorry. This is Captain Picard's ship. I'm just the first officer." Will took Veser's hand, and they left the bridge together. Deanna, badly shaken, stared after them, knowing that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day.

* * *

"You did it with a...a _fish?" _Deanna was incredulous.

"Lavena's not a fish. She's a Selkie, also known as a Pacifican. There's a difference." Will sounded amused.

"I still can't believe you did it with her." Deanna was trying, and failing miserably, to keep the raw, aching pain out of her voice. "What in the world did you see in her?"

"I was lonely, and she was available. It was just a casual fling, nothing serious at all," he grinned. "Besides, as I recall, you were pretty much giving me the cold shoulder at the time. That, and your mother's constant intrusions became tiresome."

"Don't you _dare _use my mother as an excuse for your philanderings!" Deanna stalked away angrily, the sound of Will's laughter ringing in her ears.

* * *

Lavena didn't return that day, nor did she the next, nor the next. Will enrolled Veser in the _Enterprise's _school and designated a spare room in his quarters as Veser's bedroom, filling it with items of interest to the boy. Grudgingly, Deanna had to admit that Will was doing an admirable job as a single father, especially considering that the responsibility had been thrust upon him with no prior notice or time for preparation.

One day Deanna was sitting in Ten Forward when Will and Veser entered. Will nodded to her, and she smiled.

"Hey, Miss Deanna, Dad's taking me to the holodeck to teach me how to play basketball," Veser said excitedly.

"Is that right? Well, I'll bet you'll be a star player." Deanna smiled kindly at Veser. After all, he was just an innocent child, and none of this was his fault.

"Would you like to come along too, Deanna?" Will gave her a friendly smile.

"Yeah, come on, Miss Deanna. It'll be fun!" Veser urged.

"Well...all right." Deanna laughed and joined them.

To her surprise, Deanna enjoyed the time she spent with Will and Veser on the holodeck, and afterwards they invited her over for dinner in Will's quarters.

"I think you're a really nice lady, Miss Deanna," Veser told her.

"Thank you, Veser. I think you're a very nice boy as well."

Will grinned and put an arm around each of them.

"Thank you for dinner, Will. I really enjoyed spending time with both of you, but I must return to my quarters and finish up some psychology reports," Deanna said after dinner.

"Aww..." Veser was disappointed.

Will walked her to the door. "Are you sure those psychology reports couldn't wait until another time?" he asked hopefully.

Deanna shook her head. The psychology reports were really just an excuse, and he probably knew that. She saw the longing in his eyes and left before she could change her mind.

* * *

Several days later, Aili Lavena beamed aboard the _Enterprise _once again.

"Where's Veser?" she demanded.

"He's in class. Why do you want to know?" Will asked.

"Why, I've come to take him back home with me, of course."

Will looked directly into Lavena's eyes. "And what makes you think you have the right to do that?"

Lavena seemed taken aback. "He's my son!"

"He's my son, too," Will said evenly. "Don't you think that I should have some input into where he goes and what happens to him? It was bad enough that I didn't even know of his existence for the first seven years of his life. And now that I've had the chance to get to know him and form a relationship with him, you think that you can just breeze back into his life and take him away?"

Lavena laughed cruelly. "Did you actually believe that Veser is your son?"

"I know that he is."

"Veser's father is human, but he's not you. He's a cruel tyrant who kidnapped me and blackmailed me into staying with him. I was very lucky to be able to eventually escape."

"When Veser asked me to help him find his father, I knew that I could never return to that monster. And yet I couldn't let Veser down, either. I knew that he needed a father figure, someone who was honorable and respectable, someone he could rightly look up to. That's why I came to you, Will."

"You're lying!" Will was furious. "You just made that up to make me believe that I don't have any claim to him. Don't you think a father would recognize his own son?"

Lavena became angry herself. "Are you going to allow me to take my son and leave with him in peace, or are you going to insist on a legal battle?"

"We'll let Dr. Crusher settle this once and for all." Will strode toward sickbay.

"I'm sorry, Will, but Lavena's right," Beverly said to Will sometime later, after she had examined Veser with her medical tricorder. "The DNA tests show that Veser is not your son."

"Come, Veser." Lavena grabbed Veser's hand. "It's time to go home."

"Good-bye, Mr. Will. Maybe I could come back and visit you again sometime," Veser said to Will as he and his mother prepared to leave.

"I don't know whether I should feel relieved or betrayed," Will said later to Deanna, when they were alone.

"If she was nothing more than a casual fling to you, why should you feel betrayed?" Deanna asked curtly. "Or does it just hurt your pride to realize that perhaps you meant no more to her than she did to you?"

"Leave me alone, Deanna!" Will stalked away angrily.

Deanna returned to her quarters, where she cried until there were no more tears left.


	15. Kestra: A Tragedy That Never Happened

"My sister needs me," Kestra told her husband.

Kevin knew from past experience that something serious had to be going on. "So in which direction are we headed?" he asked.

Soon they were landing on the surface of the planet Vagra II. Kestra could see the damaged shuttle with Deanna and the pilot inside it, but there was a large pool of a black tar-like substance blocking the way to them. Kestra instantly knew that the tar-like substance was alive, and that it was the most malevolent being that she had ever encountered. She communicated telepathically to her sister.

_What happened?_

_I was returning from a conference and we crash-landed here._

_Are you all right, Deanna?_

_I'm all right, but Ben's injured. We've sent a distress signal to the Enterprise._

A vaguely humanoid shape arose from the tar-like substance. "Come no closer, Betazoid! I warn you!"

"How do you know what I am?"

"I know all!"

Kestra could see the away team from the _Enterprise _approaching. She saw the look on Chief of Security Tasha Yar's face and felt a stab of fear.

"Don't come any closer, Tasha, and don't say anything to it! Please, Tasha, your life depends on it!" Tasha looked puzzled but stepped back.

"What are you? What do you want?" Kestra asked the figure.

"I am Armus, the skin of evil left here long ago but a race of Titans. And what I want, Betazoid, is to play a game with you. I am going to kill one of your friends, and you get to choose which one I will kill. Perhaps this one?"

Armus engulfed Kevin, and Kevin's body disappeared into the tar-like substance. Kestra saw Kevin's face frozen in a silent scream for just a moment, and then it was gone.

"Kill me instead," Kestra said calmly.

"What? Are you not afraid to die?"

"Of course I am. But I will gladly give my life for that of my husband, my sister, or any of my friends."

"I do not understand!"

"I don't expect you to understand. But it's true."

Kevin was suddenly disgorged by Armus. He appeared unharmed, but was covered with oil.

"Here, take your measly human back. I tire of him. He struggles too much, anyway."

It took all the willpower Kestra could muster not to rush to Kevin and embrace him. Any show of affection in the presence of Armus could prove fatal to both of them, she knew.

"Now, will you please allow the _Enterprise _to beam my sister and her pilot back on board?"

"Tell me why I should, and I might."

"Because we care about them and can't just leave them here alone."

"Your concern interests and amuses me."

"That's what happened to you, isn't it?" Kestra asked softly. "They just abandoned you, left you here all alone to suffer. How angry that must have made you feel." Kestra could feel the energy field which Armus had erected between the shuttlecraft and the _Enterprise _weakening as she spoke to Armus.

"Do not toy with me, Betazoid! I am the ultimate evil!"

"Oh, no, you're not. The ultimate evil is to surrender to you, to let you win. And that's something that we will never do."

"I could kill all of you right now!"

"Yes, you could, Armus, but you still will not have won. You'll still be here all alone to wallow in your anger and pain, while our allies all over the universe will continue to promote our mission of peace and understanding amongst all beings."

Armus roared.

"Feel the anger, Armus. Feel the pain of their desertion. Feel the loneliness, the emptiness. Feel it, Armus."

"You know not what you do, Betazoid!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Armus. Everything you feel, I feel too. But of course you already know that."

"How can you bear it then?"

"I can bear much more, if it means the rescue of my friends."

At last Armus' energy field was too weak to prevent the transport of Deanna and her injured pilot back to the _Enterprise. _The shuttlecraft was destroyed to prevent Armus from ever escaping, and the planet was quarantined.

* * *

"Are you all right, Kevin?" Kestra asked anxiously, as soon as they were safely back on board their own ship.

"Physically, yes. Psychologically...well, I do have to admit that being swallowed up by a pool of black goo is definitely one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had." Kevin laughed.

"Well, as long as it didn't do any permanent damage to you..."

"Don't worry about me, Kestra. I'm fine."

Kestra sat quietly staring into space for a long time.

"Why so pensive?"

"I was just thinking...what must it be like to be completely alone with all your anger and pain, unable to escape, knowing that you will never again encounter another living being, for all of eternity? If there really is a hell, then that must be it. I can't imagine anything else in the entire universe that would even remotely come close."

"Don't tell me you actually feel _sorry _for that thing now."

"Oh no, not at all. But I do have a new appreciation for the fact that all intelligent life forms, no matter how bizarre they may appear, do have emotions."

* * *

Deanna was preparing for bed that night when she heard a soft knock on her door, and opened it to admit Tasha Yar.

"I coudn't sleep." Deanna felt the emotional heaviness in her friend's heart. "It just keeps going through my mind over and over again. If your sister hadn't been there, if she hadn't said what she said to me, then that thing would have killed me. I just know it would have."

"It's over now, Tasha. There's no need to dwell on it," Deanna said gently.

"Of all the away teams I've ever been on, I've never once felt as afraid as I felt today on Vagra II." Tasha's bottom lip was quivering.

"It's all right, Tasha. I was afraid, too. We all were."

"Deanna, I just wanted to say..." Tasha's voice wavered, and she struggled to steady it. "I just wanted to tell you, in case I never get the chance to say it again, I love you, Deanna."

"Thank you, Tasha. That's so sweet of you. I love you, too."

The two women embraced, and Deanna felt the last of the heaviness leaving her friend's heart, to be replaced with serenity.

* * *

Several days later, Deanna had just arisen and was making her way to the kitchen when a wave of nausea washed over her. She made it to the bathroom just in time.

_Where the heck did that come from?_

She hadn't had anything alcoholic in weeks, and she hadn't eaten anything unusual the day before. Neither had she recently suffered motion sickness. With a start she realized that her monthly period was several weeks late, that in fact, she hadn't had any periods at all since the night of passion she had shared with Will Riker, and that had been at least six weeks ago, if not longer.

_Oh dear God..._


	16. Deanna: Ian Andrew William Troi Riker

"Your test result is positive, Deanna," Beverly told her. "I'm sorry if that's not the news you wanted to hear."

Deanna nodded numbly. She had known what the result would be before she had even come to sickbay.

"Well, what are your plans?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you plan to keep it?"

"Of course!" For Deanna, there could be no other choice. _Oh little one, I love you so very much. No matter who your father is or what he did, your life is very precious to me._

"Is the father who I think he is?" Beverly asked gently.

Deanna nodded glumly.

"You sure don't look happy about it."

"Things have just been so awkward between us lately, Beverly. After that episode with Lavena and Veser we had a quarrel, and we've barely spoken to each other since then."

"The test I performed on Veser's DNA sample proved that he couldn't possibly be Veser's biological father."

"But he just as easily could have been. You know what I mean."

Beverly nodded. "You know that you have to tell him about this, Deanna. He has the right to know."

"I know he does." Deanna was frustrated. "I promise I'll tell him eventually, Beverly. I'll just have to figure out the right way to do it. And that isn't going to be easy."

"Don't wait too long, Deanna. He's going to know soon anyway, as will everyone on the _Enterprise."_

"I know that. I won't."

Deanna left sickbay in a daze, wondering what she should do next.

She saw him several times over the next few days, but couldn't quite get up the courage to approach him. Once she saw him glance back at her questioningly and quickly looked down and pretended to be absorbed in the book she was holding.

Deanna had always loved children and looked forward to being a mother, but oh God, why did it have to happen this way? She had always pictured herself as being already happily married to a man who was devoted to her and would be as happy about the news as she herself would be when it came.

Beverly checked Deanna with her medical tricorder and found that both she and her baby were doing fine. She showed Deanna an image of the tiny embryo, which at this stage looked a lot like a kidney bean. Deanna was fascinated. She visited the library and checked out all the books on pregnancy and fetal development that she could find. She held her breath on the way back to her quarters, so very afraid of accidentally running into Will Riker while carrying said books, but to her tremendous relief, there was no sight of him in the hallway.

One afternoon following lunch, several weeks after her fateful visit to sickbay, Deanna felt a slight pain in her side. _Gas pains, _she decided. _Just ignore them and they'll go away on their own. _But instead of going away, the pain held on, increasing in intensity. Deanna decided to take off work early and returned to her quarters, where she took some analgesics and lay down to rest.

She dozed off to sleep and awoke a couple of hours later with her entire abdomen singing in agony. Something was terribly wrong, she knew. In a panic, she left her quarters and headed for sickbay. She almost made it before collapsing in the hallway.

* * *

Disoriented, she awoke and stared at the white ceiling. It took several seconds before she realized that she was lying in a bed in sickbay. A gentle hand wiped her forehead with a cool cloth, and she turned her head to gaze in utter shock into the extremely worried blue eyes of Will Riker.

"Imzadi," he said softly, realizing that she was awake.

"What happened?" she asked weakly.

"Your appendix burst, Deanna. I found you lying unconscious in the hallway just outside sickbay. Beverly and I were both scared to death. She thought that you were pregnant with twins and that the second embryo was growing inside one of your Fallopian tubes and had caused it to rupture. She performed exploratory surgery and found that it was your appendix that had ruptured instead. She cleaned the infection out and put you on massive antibiotics. That was several hours ago. I've been sitting here waiting for you to awaken since then."

Deanna struggled to take in everything Will was telling her.

"Why didn't you tell me about our baby, Dee? You shouldn't have to go through this all alone."

"I didn't know how to tell you, Will. After what happened with Lavena and Veser, I was afraid that you would think that I wasn't telling the truth, that I was trying to get even with you or trick you by saying that I was pregnant."

Will chuckled softly. "Come on, Dee, you know me better than that."

"I know that what Lavena did hurt and disappointed you. I thought that it would be hard for you to believe me after that happened."

"Oh, Deanna, there's as much difference between you and Lavena as there is between night and day. I never doubted for a second that the child you're carrying is mine."

Something about the way he said that brought tears to her eyes. She tried turning her head the other way in hopes that he wouldn't notice, but it was to no avail.

"Do you need more pain meds?" She felt his alarm. "I'll get Beverly..."

"Oh no, I'm fine." She smiled at him.

"Are you sure?" He looked doubtful.

She nodded. "Is the baby all right?"

"The baby's fine, and you're going to be, too. All you need is rest and plenty of TLC, which I'm more than happy to provide."

The pain medication was making her feel lightheaded. She closed her eyes and focused on Will's fingers gently brushing her hair back from her forehead and how nice that felt. She wasn't entirely sure that what she was experiencing wasn't a dream. If it was, then she never wanted to wake up.

* * *

Over the next several days, Deanna, still heavily medicated, drifted in and out of sleep. When she awoke, Will Riker was always by her side, except for very late at night. Her appetite was next to nonexistent, but Will gently urged her to eat and drink.

"You need to get your strength back, and the baby needs the nutrition as well," he explained.

"Doesn't the captain need you?" she asked.

"Right now you need me much more than he does."

When Deanna was finally recovered enough to leave sickbay, she was still too weak to do much more than lie on the sofa holding a pillow against her still-painful surgical incision and watch television all day. Will returned to his post beside Captain Picard, but every evening he spend several hours in Deanna's quarters preparing food for her, doing household chores, and visiting with her.

"You're too good to me, Will," she told him.

"Oh, nonsense. It's the least I can do," he said with a grin. He put his arm around her and held her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's been a long time since we sat together like this on the sofa," she commented.

"Much too long," he agreed. "And I intend to do everything I can to make up for lost time."

One day, after Deanna's recovery had progressed more, Will asked her to come to the holodeck with him. "It's a surprise," was all he offered by way of explanation.

Consumed by curiosity, Deanna followed him to the holodeck, where she was greeted by a strangely familiar computer simulation. With a start, she realized that it was the Jalara Jungle.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You'll see," Will said mysteriously, taking her hand and leading her into the jungle.

They walked on until the came to a breathtakingly beautiful area, which Deanna recognized as the Janara Falls. She was too busy gazing around herself in wonder to notice that Will had dropped to one knee. When she looked around and saw him, she gasped with surprise.

"Will Riker, what in the world are you doing?"

"Something I should have done long, long ago. Something that would have saved both of us so much grief." He gazed earnestly into her eyes. "Will you marry me, Deanna Troi?"

"Are you sure that's what you want, Will?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

"Are you really prepared to give up all the Lavenas in the world?"

He laughed softly. "No more Lavenas. I promise." He lifted one eyebrow the way he always did before saying something clever or quirky. "No more Wyatts either, I hope."

She laughed. "Oh, definitely no more Wyatts."

"I"m still waiting for your answer, Deanna." He was serious again.

"Yes, Will Riker. I"ll marry you."

* * *

They were married right on the _Enterprise, _with all their friends in attendance. There were, of course, plans for a traditional Betazoid wedding, to which Lwaxana and Kestra would be invited, at a later date. A honeymoon on Risa followed. Deanna was beyond thrilled to finally have the chance to vacation on the resort planet with the man she loved. By that time she was at the stage in her pregnancy that morning sickness was no longer a problem, yet she had still only just begun to show, so her condition proved no impediment to her enjoyment of her honeymoon.

After their return to the _Enterprise, _Deanna resumed her counseling position and moved into Will's quarters. It was so nice to fall asleep at night with his arms around her and wake up in the morning with the warmth of his body pressed against her back. Both of them were in awe of her expanding belly, and they enjoyed the tiny flutters, and later kicks, of the new life within her. Will told her that she had never looked more beautiful to him than she did when she was pregnant.

Her contractions began one afternoon right after dinner, and after twelve hours of labor, their son entered the world in the wee hours of the following morning. Will was beside her the entire time, encouraging her, helping her with her breathing, rubbing her back, and feeding her ice chips.

"I want to name him after my father," Deanna said, gazing down into her son's dark brown eyes, so like her own. "Kestra's son is named for Kevin's father."

"All right," Will agreed, but he looked disappointed.

"I'll give him your name too, Will," Deanna offered, and he instantly looked a lot happier.

Except for his dark brown eyes, little Ian was the spitting image of his father.

"Just look how perfect his little fingers are," Deanna said, examining her son's tiny hands.

"He's beautiful," Will agreed. "But of course he would have to be, considering who his mother is."

Deanna smiled and blushed. "I see a lot of you in him too, Will."

"I don't think I've ever been happier than I am right at this moment," Will said. "I never realized how badly I wanted to be a father until I actually saw his birth. Watching you give birth to him was truly the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. I love you so much more now than I ever thought I possibly could."

"I love you too, Will. So very much." As Deanna watched her tiny son yawn and stretch, she thought about how well things had turned out, and that it was somehow worth all the pain and disappointment she had endured in the past.


	17. Kestra: A Debt Of Gratitude Repaid

Kestra bent over the scientific reports she was currently working on, placing several fingers to the side of her head as she felt a sharp pain appear and then vanish. She had been having sharp pains in her temple off and on for the whole day but was trying to brave it out anyway, as she really wanted to get the reports finished today. She shivered, noticing that goosebumps covered her arms, although her office was perfectly adjusted for temperature. With a start she realized that she was due to meet Kevin for lunch in just fifteen minutes. _That's funny, _she thought. Normally, by this time, her stomach would have been rumbling with hunger.

As Kestra stood, she suddenly felt weak, as if she were about to pass out. She grasped the side of the desk for support and waited for the wave of dizziness to pass. Then she slowly stood, quietly left the office, and made her way to the lounge.

Kevin looked startled when he saw her. "Are you all right, honey? You sure do look pale." He frowned with concern.

"I'll be all right." Not wanting Kevin to worry, she smiled weakly.

They found a table and ordered lunch. "Just a bowl of clear broth for me today. I'm not very hungry," Kestra said.

"That's not like you," Kevin said. "Why don't you take the afternoon off and go back to our quarters and rest?'

"I'll be fine," Kestra insisted. "Don't worry about me, Kevin."

As Kestra rose to go back to her office after lunch, she stumbled and almost fell. Kevin grabbed her arm and steadied her.

"Hon, I really think you need to take the afternoon off," he told her.

"The reports..."

"Can be finished tomorrow," he told her gently but firmly.

"Well...all right," she agreed reluctantly, allowing Kevin to lead her back to their quarters.

"Are you sure you'll be all right? I don't really feel comfortable leaving you here alone to finish my shift," Kevin told her.

"I'll be fine, Kevin," Kestra said, sinking gratefully into the soft bed.

Kevin gently stroked her head and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back just as soon as I can, darling. I love you."

"Love you too," Kestra mumbled sleepily.

Several hours later, after Kevin had picked Donovan and Deirdre up from after-school care and returned to the family's quarters, he was unable to rouse his wife. He felt her forehead and found that she was burning up with fever.

"What's wrong with Mom?" Donovan asked. Deirdre looked as if she might cry.

"I don't know. I need to get her to sickbay right away." Kevin gathered Kestra into his arms and carried her to sickbay, where Dr. Creighton, the ship's medical officer, immediately looked alarmed.

"She's burning up with fever," Kevin said tersely. "I wasn't able to awaken her."

Dr. Creighton led Kevin to a bed in sickbay, where he gently laid his wife's body. Wordlessly, Dr. Creighton began to examine her.

* * *

Kestra opened her eyes and saw that she was standing in a grassy field. The sun was shining, and the sky was a gorgeous shade of blue with white, puffy clouds. Kestra could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, and she could smell the delicate aroma of wildflowers and hear the distant chirping of birds.

She saw someone in the distance, and as she got closer she discovered, to her utter amazement, that it was her father. He was holding Bronco, who squirmed with eagerness to get down as soon as he saw Kestra.

"Daddy!" Kestra cried, embracing the wriggling ball of fur who had just joyfully ran up to her. No longer crippled by the arthritis that had plagued him in his later years, Bronco was once more the youthful dog he had formerly been. Kestra laughed as he licked every inch of her face.

Ian embraced his daughter, and she clung to him tightly.

"Oh, Daddy," she sobbed. "You gave me life twice, once when I was conceived, and again when I was seven and almost drowned. I couldn't give you life even once. You died all alone in a strange place and there was nothing at all that I could do about it."

"Please don't grieve for me any more, Kestra," Ian said gently. "I am happy and at peace. I gave you life so that you could give it to others in return."

"I am one of them," said a female voice. Kestra turned around and saw Tasha Yar standing not too far away.

"Tasha! What are you doing here? You're still alive!"

"This place is not the afterlife, Kestra," Tasha said gently. "You are still alive too. You will live to return to your husband and children, just as I lived to return to my friends on the _Enterprise, _thanks to you."

"You saved my life on Vagra II, Kestra. I knew that Armus was alive, but I had no idea how powerful and utterly evil it was. You knew. If you hadn't spoken to me when you did, I would have attempted to reach the downed shuttlecraft, and Armus would have killed me."

"I am your sister now, Kestra, just as Deanna is, although our bond is emotional rather than biological."

Kestra, too overcome to speak, just stared silently.

"What you did for me on Vagra II was a debt of gratitude repaid," Tasha continued.

Kestra looked at her father again. "How I wish you could have lived to see your grandchildren," she told him. "You have three of them, two boys and a girl. The youngest one is named for you."

Ian smiled gently. "I know that, Kestra. Don't you realize that I can watch everything that you and Durango do from where I am?" Durango had been his nickname for Deanna.

"Then you know she still has her Cowboy Ralph books. Mom and I found them in storage, and I took them to her on the _Enterprise._" Kestra was finally able to smile.

"I know you did. Thank you for that, Kestra." As Kestra watched, her father seemed to begin to fade from view.

"No, Daddy, don't leave me again! Please stay with me!" There was panic in Kestra's voice.

"Don't be afraid, Kestra. I'm always with you, even though you can't see me. Always remember that. Give your mother and Durango all my love, and tell them that I am watching over them."

* * *

Dr. Creighton had wrapped Kestra in cool, wet towels and placed an icepack on her forehead in an attempt to bring her fever down. Despite checking and re-checking Kestra with her medical tricorder, the doctor had been unable to come up with a diagnosis for her condition. The exceptionally high temperature seemed to be her only symptom, and there was no evidence of any virus, bacteria, or other disease-causing organism in her system. Kevin left Donovan and Deirdre to stay in a friend's quarters and kept constant vigil beside Kestra's bed, placing cool compresses to her face and speaking tenderly to her. Finally, Kestra moaned softly and opened her eyes.

"Kestra! Honey, can you hear me?"

Kestra turned her unfocused eyes in Kevin's direction. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but only a soft moan escaped.

"You're going to be all right now, sweetheart."

"The kids?"

"They're just fine, Kestra. Rick and Cheryl are taking care of them for us."

"I saw my dad, Kevin."

Kevin looked at her, bewildered.

"He told me that he was happy and that he was watching over me and Deanna," she continued.

"I'm so glad, Kestra," Kevin said gently, but Kestra could tell that he didn't really believe her.

* * *

As soon as she had the opportunity, Kestra hailed the _Enterprise. _She had to talk to Tasha Yar.

"Hi, Kestra!" Tasha's smiling face appeared on the screen, and Kestra smiled back.

"Tasha, have you experienced anything out of the ordinary lately?"

"As a matter of fact, I did!" Tasha immediately looked serious. "Yesterday after lunch, I wasn't feeling well, so I asked Worf to cover for me and went back to my quarters and went to bed. The next thing I knew, I was standing in a field, and you and your dad were there too. We were all talking to each other, and then all of a sudden I woke up and it was the middle of the night and I was back on the _Enterprise. _I thought it must have just been a dream, but oh God, Kestra, it was so vivid."

Kestra recounted to Tasha the conversation the three of them had had, and Tasha turned white as a sheet.

"Oh my God, Kestra, that's exactly the way it happened!"

Kestra felt tears forming in her eyes. "So it's true, then! I really did see my dad after all these years. I was only fourteen when he died, and Deanna was only seven."

Tasha looked at her with compassion. "I lost my dad when I was very young too, Kestra. My mom too. They were both killed when I was only five years old."

"I'm so sorry, Tasha."

"It's all right, Kestra. I consider my friends on the _Enterprise _to be my family now. Captain Picard is just like a father to me, and Commander Riker is just like an older brother. And it's true, Kestra. Ever since what happened on Vagra II, I've felt a special bond with you. I truly feel as if you're my sister, even though we were born into two different families."

"I know. I feel the same way," Kestra told her.

"Kestra, there's something I want to talk to you about. It's really been on my mind a lot lately, and I don't feel comfortable discussing it with anyone else but you. Kestra, do you think it's possible for a human and an android to be in love with each other?"

Kestra was taken aback. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, right after what happened on Vagra II..." Tasha seemed to be searching for the right words. "Later that night, Data came to my quarters and said that he wanted to talk to me. He said that he just couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened and how empty his life would be if...if anything ever happened to me."

"I know that androids aren't supposed to be able to feel emotions, but Kestra, listening to Data, I felt...I don't really know how to explain it, but I felt as if he really cared. As if he truly felt affection for me and truly enjoyed being around me. I mean, the same way...well, the same way a real flesh-and-blood man would feel about a woman he was attracted to."

"And Kestra, the weird thing is...the weird thing is that I feel the same way about him. This is something I've never told anybody, but...I did have sex with him once. The entire crew was under the influence of some intoxicating agent at the time, and afterwards, I felt so embarrassed and ashamed, I went to him and told him that it never happened. I knew that if I said that, he would never say anything about it to anybody else. But lately, I've been thinking about...you know, what it was like to be with him, the sex and all. I realize now that I miss his arms around me, his body pressed up against mine...Kestra, I know it sounds crazy, but I think I want to have sex with him again. I mean, more than just once. I mean on a regular basis. And it's more than just sex. I want to have a genuine romantic relationship with him." Tasha looked down, afraid that Kestra would laugh at her or tell her that she was crazy.

"Wow, Tasha." Kestra was at a loss for words. "Have you talked this over with Data and asked how he feels, I mean, what he thinks about it?"

"No, not yet." Tasha looked flustered. "I would feel very awkward about doing that, since I told him never to say anything about it again."

"Sometimes a person's feelings about a certain situation change over time," Kestra said. "I think Data understands that about humans. I don't think you have anything to lose by telling him how you feel now. After all, there's no other way for him to know."

"As for your original question about whether or not a human and an android could really fall in love with each other, I think that's something you're going to have to discover the answer to for yourself, Tasha. One thing that's important to remember is that love is more than just a feeling or emotion. It's also in how a person treats you, the way they act toward you. If someone treats you lovingly, then that's an expression of love, regardless of whether they are feeling the emotion at the time. Do you think I feel love for Kevin all the time? Of course I don't! Sometimes I feel very angry at him for one reason or another. At those times I just have to remember that he and I made a commitment to one another and that we must honor it, no matter how I feel at the time. He's the same way toward me."

"I never thought of it exactly that way before," Tasha said. "Thank you so much, Kestra. I feel so much better about it now."

"Hey, that's what big sisters are for." Kestra grinned at her.


	18. Deanna: Meeting Will's Father

Ian was a beautiful baby, and as he grew, Deanna could see definite traces of both herself and Will in him. With his large dark eyes and his winning smile so like Will's, he quickly became the darling of the _Enterprise _crew.

"You're going to be a real heartbreaker someday," a friend of Deanna's told him.

"Now why in the world would you say a thing like that?" Will asked with feigned innocence, as Deanna burst out laughing.

One evening when Ian was a few months old, Will entered their quarters looking glum, and Deanna sensed the tension he felt.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"The captain of the starship _Ares_ in the Vega-Omicron sector is retiring, and I've been offered his position."

"What about me?"

"They have an open position for a counselor as well. I wouldn't even have considered it otherwise."

"So it's really our decision to make together then."

"Right. Whatever we decide, we have to let Picard know in twelve hours."

Deanna felt sad at the prospect of leaving the friends she had come to know and love on the _Enterprise _behind, but she was determined not to hold Will back in the progress of his career.

"Well, honey, that sounds wonderful. I know how badly you want your own starship." Deanna was puzzled as to why he wasn't ecstatic over the news.

"It would take months to reach Vega-Omicron even at high warp. But that's not the whole story. A civilian advisor has arrived to brief me on the _Ares_ mission. This civilian advisor just happens to be my father."

"Your father is aboard the _Enterprise _right now?" Deanna was stunned.

"That's correct."

"Did you tell him that you have a wife and child now?"

"I haven't really had the chance to speak to him yet. I had some duties to complete and he needed time to settle in."

Deanna knew very little about Will's relationship with his father, but she knew that they weren't close. Will had never had anything positive to say about his father to her.

After Ian had been fed, changed, and settled down for the night, Deanna found Will sitting and looking at his monitor. On the monitor was a photo of a young boy holding a fish and standing beside a man.

"How old were you in this photo?" she asked.

"Nine."

"And you caught that fish you're holding?"

"I hooked it, but my dad took the rod from me and reeled it in. He was afraid I would lose it."

"That must have really hurt, to know that he didn't trust you."

Will continued to stare blankly at the monitor.

Deanna took a quick shower and put on her sexiest negligee.

"You need your rest, Will. Your counselor recommends that you come to bed right away," she said in her most sultry voice. Will looked up at her, grinned, and allowed her to lead him to their bed.

Afterwards they cuddled and talked. Conversation now came much more easily for Will, as was always the case after making love with his wife.

"As you know, my mother died when I was two years old. After that he buried himself in his work and never had any time left over for me. You can almost say I raised myself. Perhaps it was just his way of dealing with his grief, but I needed him too. I was just a little boy who had lost his mother, and I needed him so badly, but he was never there for me. Never." The bitterness in Will's voice tore at Deanna's heart.

"Then when I was fifteen, he abandoned me completely. I finished high school and made it through Starfleet Academy completely on my own."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Will. But just look at how confident and self-sufficient you are now. You came through those hardships successfully, and they helped make you the man you are today."

"I know." Will didn't speak for so long that Deanna thought that he had fallen asleep.

"Deanna, I promise you that no matter what happens, I'll never abandon Ian the way my own father abandoned me. I love Ian more than I love my own life even, and I'll always be there for him when he needs me."

"I would never doubt that for a second, Will. I know the kind of man you are, and how much you love me and Ian. Now please try and get some sleep. You'll need to be well-rested and alert when you give the captain your decision tomorrow."

The next day, Dr. Pulanski came to visit Deanna. "I would like for you to talk with Will's father," she said. "He's been a good friend of mine for many years. He's heartbroken that Will is so emotionally distant toward him. He acknowledges and regrets all the mistakes he made in the past and wants very badly to reconcile with his son, but Will seems unwilling to put the past behind him. I know that you could help him."

Deanna sighed. "Believe me, Kate, I would dearly love to do anything I could to help facilitate a reconciliation between Will and his father, but Will told me that he hasn't even told his father about his marriage. I can't just go up to him and tell him that I'm his daughter-in-law and that I want to help him with his relationship with his son. The poor man would just about keel over in shock."

"I promise, I will say nothing to him about your marriage to Will. I will simply tell him that you're the ship's counselor."

"In that case, I'm certainly willing to do what I can."

"I know you're not as close to Will as you'd like to be, and I'd like to help you, if I can," Deanna said to Will's father, Kyle, as soon as they were introduced.

"I came to bury the hatchet with my son only to find the ground was frozen solid," Kyle complained.

"Sounds to me as if you might be giving up too easily."

"I didn't say I was giving up, but it would be nice to get a little acknowledgement from him."

"Do you mean that you want him to be proud of you?"

"Well, I'm certainly proud of him! Look at all his accomplishments!"

"Are you perhaps envious of his success? If so, you should honestly consider why you're so competitive with your own son."

"Competitive? Maybe in the past. But I've come here to help Will prepare for his first task as captain."

"Are you sure he'll accept such a dangerous assignment?"

"He'll accept it just because it's dangerous."

"How do you know?"

"Because I would. Will and I aren't so different."

* * *

When she heard that Kyle had challenged Will to an anbo-jyutsu match, Deanna's heart sank. She knew that anbo-jyutsu was a form of martial arts that Will and his father had engaged in from the time Will had been eight years old until his father had left, but she wished that they had been able to resolve their issues without resorting to physical combat. She waited patiently in the lounge with Dr. Pulanski until the match was over.

When Kyle and Will finally came out of the gymnasium, Deanna was surprised to see that both of them were smiling.

"Who won?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter," Will said. "All that matters is that everything is all right now."

"Oh, Will, I'm so happy!"

Kyle looked puzzled at her reaction.

"Dad, I didn't get the chance to tell you before, but I'm married now. This is my wife, Deanna."

Kyle looked at Deanna with surprise, then happiness. She stepped toward him, and they embraced.

"Welcome to the family, dear. My son couldn't have chosen better."

"Thank you." Deanna smiled and blushed.

"There's someone else we'd like you to meet, too," Will added, his eyes twinkling.

"You don't say!" Kyle laughed with astonishment and followed Will and Deanna back to their quarters, where Tasha Yar, who had offered to babysit, held a sleepy Ian.

Tasha looked up as the others entered. "He's been fine," she said. "He finished almost all of a bottle, and I just burped him."

Deanna reached for Ian, who held his chubby little arms out to her.

"Meet your grandson, Ian," Will said proudly to his father.

"Can I hold him?" Kyle asked.

Deanna carefully laid Ian in Kyle's arms, and Kyle gazed down at his grandson lovingly. "He favors your mother, doesn't he?" he said to Will.

"He has a lot of Deanna in him as well." Will moved closer to his wife and put his arm around her.

Little Ian looked up at his grandfather and smiled and cooed.

"He is precious," Kyle said. "If only his grandmother could see him."

"Maybe she can," Deanna said softly.

"I've been thinking about the position on the _Ares," _Will said to Deanna, after Kyle had left. "I really feel that the time just isn't right for me to make the move. I feel that I'm still needed here on the _Enterprise, _and that right here is where I belong for now. I hope that you feel the same way."

"I do, Will." Deanna felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "I'm so happy," she said, giving her husband a big hug.

"Me too," Will said, hugging her back.


	19. Kestra: The Most Wonderful Stepfather

Kevin, Kestra, and their children were on Betazed for several weeks' shore leave. Lwaxana had just returned from a conference on the planet Pacifica, and Kestra was helping her to get settled back in.

"How did the conference go?" Kestra asked her mother.

"The conference itself was fine, but the trip there was an absolute disaster!" Lwaxana complained. "When I transferred aboard the _Enterprise, _I was certain Jean-Luc would have enough sense to realize what a perfect wife I would make him. I had this lovely dinner all planned for us, but then of course it was interrupted by that know-it-all robot of his, Data, who just barged in and started blathering on and on about God-only-knows-what. He nearly put me to sleep! Needless to say, the romatic atmosphere was simply ruined."

"Right after that, Jean-Luc disappeared. Away on business, Deanna told me, but I knew that he was really hiding from me. I found him in a bar on a holodeck program, where I met a gentleman named Rex who was absolutely charming. I shared a very nice meal with him, and then Jean-Luc told me that he wasn't even real. Imagine that!"

"Then, to top it all off, once we were back from the holodeck program, I found that the _Enterprise _was also escorting two Antedeans to the conference along with me. You know, those funny-looking, fish-type creatures? Well, anyway, I took one look at them and knew right away that they were assassins who meant to blow up the conference with ultritium. You wouldn't believe how unsophisticated those Antedeans are, no ability at all to hide their thoughts, so of course I saw right through them without even having to try."

"So here I am, my precious one, having saved a conference but still no closer to having my own needs met." Lwaxana looked at her older daughter imploringly, and Kestra, although trying hard to hide a smile, genuinely sympathized with her mother. She realized that Lwaxana was in 'The Phase', a stage in the life of all Betazoid women in which their sex drive increased by four or more times. Kestra realized how frustrating this time must be for her mother, who had no romatic partner. She put her arms around Lwaxana.

"It'll be all right, mother," she said soothingly. "You'll find the right man soon. I know you will." But where in the world would she even begin to look? All the men on her own starship were either married or in a relationship, too old, too young, or not interested in women. Unattached Betazoid men? Scarcer than hen's teeth, they were. Still, there had to be some way to help her mother, who seemed so desperately unhappy.

Fate seemed to smile on Kestra as one day, at her suggestion, she and her mother were visiting in the vicinity of the Tavnian consulate. Kestra noticed a man who seemed to be alone strolling the grounds just outside the consolate. He was completely bald, but other than that he was fairly nice looking, and Kestra guessed him to be near her mother's age. Lwaxana herself was deeply engrossed in conversation and didn't even notice him until she picked up Kestra's own thoughts about him, which of course immediately peaked her interest.

The man noticed the two women watching him and smiled pleasantly in their direction. Lwaxana, of course, needed no further encouragement. She rushed to his side and began to tell him all about herself and her position within the Fifth House Of Betazed. The man looked amused but captivated. Kestra, sensing that her mother would rather be alone with the man, returned home alone to await the result of the interaction.

It was much later that evening when Lwaxana finally returned home, delirious with excitement.

"My worries are over," she announced to her family. Kevin and the children looked at her with curiosity.

"I've met the most wonderful man," she continued exultantly. "His name is Jeyal, and he's a Tavnian trade negotiator. We're to be married in a traditional Betazoid ceremony just as soon as I've had time to make preparations and send out invitations."

Kestra's mouth fell open. "Mother! You've only just met him today!"

"Oh, but my precious one, you forget how quickly and accurately my telepathic skills can learn all there is to know about a person. Jeyal's thought patterns are nothing but innocent, and his intentions are nothing but honorable. He just wants to meet a decent and worthy woman, just as I want to meet a decent and worthy man. I can safely say that he would make a wonderful husband."

"The Tavnians," Kevin mused. "I've heard of them. Their child rearing laws are quite unconventional. Boys are raised only by their fathers, and girls are raised only by their mothers. If you have a daughter with him, he'll abandon you and leave you to raise her alone, and if you have a son with him, he'll take the baby from you and not let you see him again until he's grown."

"We've already discussed that issue, and Jeyal has assured me that it woudn't apply in our case, since I'm Betazoid rather than Tavnian," Lwaxana told him.

"Mother, please be careful. I love you, and I don't want to see you get hurt," Kestra said.

Lwaxana laughed and patted her daughter's arm. "Oh, my precious one, there's nothing to be concerned about at all," she told her.

"Kestra, I know that your mother can be flighty and impulsive at times, but I've never seen her like this before," Kevin said later, as they were preparing for bed.

"She's going through The Phase, Kevin. Remember when I told you about it? It's the period in a middle-aged Betazoid woman's life when her sex drive increases by four times or more."

"Oh, yeah." Kevin grinned.

"Now I'm starting to wonder whether or not it was a good idea to suggest a trip to that part of Betazed after all. She had been feeling so down about Jean-Luc's rejection that I thought that the distraction might make her feel better," Kestra said.

"Never mind the unattached Tavnian males you were hoping might be in the vicinity for her to meet." Kevin winked at her.

"Well, yeah, that too," Kestra admitted with a chuckle. "I had no idea about their child rearing laws until you brought it up."

"Ah, well, your mom's pretty much past that stage in her life anyway."

"You forget, Kevin, Betazoid women don't have biological clocks like human women do."

"Oh, yeah, I did forget about that. I imagine everything will be all right, though. Doesn't your mother generally have a way of getting things to work out the way she wants them too?"

"More or less, I suppose." Kestra laughed.

Kevin's eyes were gleaming. "So, my love, will you go all nympho on me twenty or so years from now?"

"Who said anything about twenty or so years from now?" Kestra asked, trailing her hand suggestively up Kevin's leg as his eyes grew wide with delight.


	20. Deanna: Fighting For Will's Life

Jeyal and Lwaxana were married in a traditional Betazoid ceremony. Kestra and Deanna and their families were in attendance. Kevin, accustomed to the traditions of his wife's home planet, took them all in good-humored stride, but Donovan and Deirdre, three-quarters human and both approaching their teens, felt self-conscious about appearing in public without clothing and tried to hide behind their parents as much as possible. It was also the first time they had met their cousin Ian, who was not yet a year old, and Deirdre was able to overcome her shyness just enough to make a fuss over him.

"He's just like a living doll," she told her mother.

"He's a lot more work than a doll, but well worth it," Deanna chuckled.

Jeyal's male relatives and a handful of his adult female relatives, including his mother and older sister, both of whom he had met for the first time on his sixteenth birthday, and his younger sister, whom he had met for the first time years later, were there. Deanna struck up a conversation with Jeyal's mother.

"I just can't understand how you can carry and give birth to a child and then not see him for sixteen years," Deanna said, holding her own chubby son protectively.

"It's part of our culture, what makes us Tavnian," the elderly woman replied. "We don't expect those from other cultures to understand. It's been that way for centuries, and it's always worked for us."

"But how can you stay married when you live apart?"

"There are conjugal visits. During those, Jeyal's father showed me many photos of him and kept me up to date on his development, and I did the same for him with the girls. I truly don't feel as if I missed out at all on Jeyal's childhood."

_You weren't there for his first tooth, his first word, or his first step. You weren't there to kiss his boo-boos or read him bedtime stories or comfort him when he was sick or afraid, _Deanna wanted to protest, but didn't.

Deanna watched her mother's eyes shining with happiness as Jeyal made his declaration of love to her.

"I certainly hope she knows what she's getting herself into," she said to Will after the ceremony was over.

"Conjugal visits." Will snorted with laughter.

"Now Will, it's not nice to make fun of other cultures," Deanna admonished him.

"All I can say is that I'm mighty glad that _I'm _not Tavnian. I'd have to take so many cold showers that I'd stay blue and wrinkled all the time."

"That I believe." Deanna laughed heartily.

* * *

Will and Geordi were investigating an uncharted planet when Dr. Pulanski was summoned. She immediately had Will beamed back aboard the _Enterprise._

"An unknown life form attacked him and injected microbes into his leg," Dr. Pulanski told Deanna. "The microbes are multiplying rapidly, and I am unable to destroy them without destroying the nerves they are attacking in the process. When they reach his brain, which at this rate won't be very long at all, he could die."

Alarmed, Deanna rushed to sickbay, where Will lay flat on his back in bed. In spite of the dire prognosis, he seemed to be in good spirits.

"If you have to face death, you may as well do so with courage," he said cheerfully, but Deanna knew that he was only putting on a brave front for her sake and was actually terrified inside. Not so much for himself, but for her and Ian, she knew. Silently, she grasped his hand and held it tightly, while sending him comforting thoughts. _Hang in there, Will. You can beat this. I know you can. Oh Imzadi, I love you so much. _As Deanna watched, Will's eyelids fluttered and then closed.

"The microbes have attacked his spinal cord," Dr. Pulanski said gravely. "At the rate they are growing, they will soon reach his brain, and he'll be dead within a half hour."

Deanna was horrified. "Hang on, Will," she begged him.

"My only hope is to force his neurons to remain active by stimulating them." Deanna watched as Dr. Pulanski enclosed Will's head in an apparatus containing electrical probes.

Within a few minutes Deanna began to sense the warm, friendly, pleasant emotions Will was feeling. However, Dr. Pulanski's next words were very discouraging.

"The microbes are nourished by the positive endorphins produced by the pleasant memories, and their growth rate has increased dramatically," she told Deanna, who gazed helplessly at her husband's unconscious body as she felt her heart breaking. What if Will never saw little Ian's chubby face again? What if she never cuddled with him in bed after making love again? Deanna tried desperately to push those thoughts from her mind as she silently willed her husband to fight the microbes invading his brain.

"If I stimulate Will's brain to relive unpleasant memories, then perhaps the resulting chemicals will retard the growth of the microbes. It's my only chance," Dr. Pulanski said.

Deanna almost couldn't bear the thought of Will being forced to relive his most painful memories, but if that was what it took to save his life, then that was what she wanted for him.

A few minutes after using the electrical probes to stimulate the part of Will's brain containing his most unpleasant memories, Dr. Pulaski gave the first encouraging report.

"The growth of the microbes has decreased significantly," she told Deanna.

"Oh, thank God!" The reception of Will's negative emotions had been very painful for Deanna, and she hoped that the intervention could now be ended. Her hopes fell at Dr. Pulaski's next words.

"It's not enough."

Deanna prepared herself for the flood of rage accompanied by sadness that was sure to come, and come it did. After what felt like an eternity, Dr. Pulaski spoke again, and this time her words filled Deanna's heart with happiness.

"The microbes' growth has stopped competely, and there is no residual damage to Will's nervous system."

The apparatus containing the electrical probes was removed, and a few minutes later, Will's eyes flickered open. They found Deanna's, and his whole face lit up with happiness.

"Imzadi! I knew that you would still be here."

"Of course I'm still here, Will. You know that I would never leave you."

Slowly and carefully, Will rose from the bed.

"Do you feel all right?" Deanna asked with concern.

"I feel fine, Dee," he assured her with a smile. "Craziest dreams I've ever had, though."

"What did you dream about?" Deanna was curious.

"Never mind. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," he laughed.

Deanna was too relieved to have him back safe and sound to pry further.

"Come back to our quarters and let me take care of you," she urged.

"What about your case load?"

"They'll just have to wait until tomorrow. You're my top priority today."

Deanna was happy to see that Ian was awake and in a good mood when she picked him up from child care.

"Hi there, little man." Will smiled as he took his son into his arms, and Ian cooed in response. Deanna treasured the sight of her husband holding their son, as she had feared that she might never see it again.

A short while later Will was lying on the sofa in their quarters eating a bowl of soup while Deanna fed Ian. Soon Ian was asleep, and Deanna laid him in his crib and came back to the living room.

"At first I thought that it was just a scratch," Will told her. "Thank God Geordi summoned Dr. Pulanski when he did."

"That was one of the most frightening things I've ever been through," Deanna said. "I just can't get over the fact that this time I really could have lost you." Deanna felt a sob catch in her throat. Will set the bowl of soup down on the coffee table and gathered her into his arms and held her close, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair.

"It's all right, Imzadi," he said softly. "Everything's all right now." They stood that way for a long time, not saying anything more, content just to be together.


	21. Kestra: I'll Always Be Here For You

"Deanna is being held captive on the planet Mintaka III," Will told Kestra, barely able to disguise the panic in his voice. "I don't know what the Mintakans plan to do with her. Kestra, I'm so afraid they'll hurt her." Kestra could tell that her brother-in-law was near tears.

"What in the world is Deanna doing on Mintaka III?" she asked.

"The Federation maintains an outpost on the planet to monitor the Mintakans," Will explained. "They are a very primitive race with no knowledge of modern day technology at all. They are also very fearful and superstitious, with a lot of beliefs about gods and magic and so forth. A Mintakan named Liko was accidentally injured during a routine visit to the outpost. Beverly beamed him aboard to treat his injuries and then attempted to wipe his memory of the incident. However, her attempt was unsucessful, and Liko retained his memory of seeing Captain Picard on the _Enterprise. _He now believes that Captain Picard is a god who brought him back to life."

"Deanna and I visited the planet in disguise to try to find a missing researcher named Palmer. We found Palmer, and I hid in a cave with him so that we could be beamed back aboard the _Enterprise _without any of the Mintakans seeing it. For the Mintakans to witness a dematerialization would be a violation of the Prime Directive, or so the captain has decided. The Mintakans now believe that Picard is angry at them for the disappearance of Palmer and they are considering sacrificing Deanna to appease him."

"Picard is attempting to negotiate with one of their leaders, Nuria, as we speak. I don't think I've ever been this frightened before in my life, Kestra. If something happens to her...if I never see her again..." Will's voice broke and he couldn't finish.

Kestra, who was part of an away team doing maintenance work on a nearby satellite, headed for the _Enterprise. _When she arrived on the bridge_, _she found a distraught Will holding little Ian and fighting back tears.

"Hi, sweetie! I'm your Auntie Kay-Kay!" Ian grinned at her as she took him from his father.

"Kay-Kay!" he said.

"My, how you've grown!" she told him. In reply he gurgled and grabbed her nose.

"Did anyone ever tell you how adorable you are?"

"All the time," Will grinned.

Picard and Nuria had returned to the surface of Mintaka III. Will, Kestra, and the others watched from the main viewer on the bridge as they approached Liko, who pointed an arrow inside a bow at Deanna.

"Liko, you don't want to kill me." Deanna's gaze was calm and her voice steady.

"I have no choice. I must do as the Picard wishes." Liko sounded unhappy but resigned.

Kestra watched breathlessly, unable to tear her eyes away from the arrow pointed straight at her sister. Just then Liko noticed that Picard was standing with Nuria.

"The Picard has come," Liko announced.

"I am a man. Nothing more," Picard insisted.

"But you restored my life," Liko said.

"Liko, you were only wounded, not dead," Nuria told him.

"No! You can bring back the dead! Nothing is beyond your power! I will prove it!"

Liko aimed the arrow at Picard.

"If that's what it takes to prove to you that I am only human, then shoot," Picard said.

One of the other Mintakans jolted Liko's arm, and the arrow he shot went into Picard's shoulder. Nuria showed the blood from Picard's wound to Liko, who then burst into tears.

After Liko saw the evidence of Picard's humanity, Picard and Troi were finally beamed back aboard the _Enterprise, _where Picard was rushed to sickbay for treatment of his wound and Deanna rushed right into Will's waiting arms.

"While I stood there looking at that arrow pointed right at me, all I could see in my mind's eye was your face and Ian's face," Deanna told him shakily. "I knew that if I was going to die, I wanted my very last thought to be of you two."

"It's all right now, my love," Will soothed, cuddling her and patting her on the back. "It's all over with. You're safe with me again now."

Deanna sensed her sister's presence. "Kestra!"

"Will contacted me and told me what was happening. I came just as soon as I heard."

Deanna hugged Kestra with her free arm. "Both of you are just so precious to me. I can't imagine my life without both of you in it."

Kestra had a fleeting thought of her near-drowning incident as a child but forcefully pushed it away before Deanna, who had been too young to remember the incident, picked up on her thoughts. "I'll always be here for you when you need me, sis, no matter what happens."

"I think this little man wants his mommy," she continued, handing Ian to Deanna, who showered him with kisses.

"Mama," Ian said, cuddling up to her.

"Yes, mama's back, and she's so happy to see her little angel again." Deanna was almost crying with joy.

"Well, as long as everyone's fine now, I may as well go back to Kevin and the kids. They'll be expecting me." Kestra felt as if she were intruding on an intimate moment between Will and Deanna and their son.

"Thank you so much for being here with me in this stressful situation," Will told Kestra.

"I love you, K," said Deanna.

"I love you too, Dee," her sister replied.

"What was that all about?" Kevin asked upon Kestra's return.

"My sister was just almost killed by a member of a primitive race called the Mintakans. He thought that he needed her for a sacrifice to a god who's not even a god."

"What? That's crazy!"

"It's a long story, Kevin. I'll tell you all about it later."

"Is Deanna all right?"

"She's fine, back aboard the _Enterprise _with Will and Ian."

"Thank God for that."

"Will just needed me there for emotional support. Whether or not we were going to get Deanna back was really touch-and-go there for a few minutes."

"Such is the life of a Starfleet officer." Kevin chuckled. "But all's well that ends well, I guess."

"True," said Kestra. "The only thing that makes it bearable is the support of family and friends."

"You're certainly right about that," said Kevin as he took her hand.


	22. Deanna: Tempted

Deanna looked deeply into the clear blue eyes of Devinoni Ral. His were the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, besides Will's. Instinctively, she felt her heart quicken.

_What in the world is happening to me? _she asked herself. She was _married, _for God's sake. Why did she suddenly feel like a giddy teenager with a crush?

Deanna had been asked by Captain Picard to attend a reception for a group of visiting interplanetary dignitaries who were negotiating for the rights to a wormhole that had been recently discovered by the Barzans, a humanoid species. Devinoni was representing the Chrysalians, a space-faring race native to the Alpha Quadrant who had been at peace for ten generations.

Later, in her office, Deanna found herself looking up information on Devinoni on her computer. _Human, age forty-one. Born Brussels, European Alliance. Relocated at age nineteen to Hurkos Three. _

"Come in," she said in response to the door's chime. Devinoni entered.

"Are you busy?"

"Not really. I'm just looking over some personnel files."

"I thought you might be thinking about me."

"Why?" Deanna feigned innocence.

"You know why." He flashed a charming smile. "How about having dinner with me tonight?"

"I'm very flattered, Mr. Ral, but I don't think my husband would like that idea very much." She smiled apologetically. He looked completely unfazed.

"Please call me Devinoni," he said. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

_You sure have a lot of nerve, _Deanna thought at him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he had read her mind. She was startled, but refused to dwell on the incident and returned to her work.

"You look as if your mind is a million miles away," Will said to her that evening at dinner.

"Sorry." She laughed nervously. "I was just thinking about how this wormhole will really revolutionize space travel," she lied. "Just think, a distance of many light years will be spanned in just a few seconds."

"If this wormhole is truly stable, which I doubt. If it is, it'll be the first one I've ever heard of."

That night Deanna dreamed of Devinoni Ral's blue eyes.

* * *

The following day, Geordi and Data entered the wormhole in a shuttlecraft. At Will's advice, Captain Picard had decided that it would be prudent to explore the wormhole to determine its stability before allowing the Federation to make a bid on it. A couple of Ferengi consuls who were also interested in placing a bid for the wormhole had also chosen to enter the wormhole in their own shuttlecraft. Deanna watched Tasha Yar's worried blue eyes as Geordi and Data departed.

"Please, please be careful," Tasha begged Data, hugging him even more closely than usual.

"I assure you that I will use every precaution to ensure a safe trip," Data told her.

"I love you, Data," Tasha said. Data looked uncomfortable for just a minute. Tasha gently put her finger to his lips.

"It's all right, Data. I understand. You don't have to say anything. I know how you feel about me, or at least, how you would feel about me if you were capable of true feelings." Data looked relieved and grateful.

After they had left, Tasha paced restlessly back and forth. "I'm just so scared, Deanna. I know that there probably isn't really anything to worry about, but I just can't help it. I just have this awful feeling that I may never see him again."

Deanna went to Tasha and put her arms around her. "I know how you feel, Tasha. I feel exactly the same way every time Will is chosen as a member of an away team that is sent on a dangerous mission. You just have to remember that this is the life we've all chosen. The dangers are very real, but so is the gratification that comes with each success. Realizing that helps us to truly cherish each moment we have with one another and never take a single one for granted."

"Thanks, Dee. I needed to hear that." Tasha grinned mischievously. "I've got a special surprise in mind for Data just as soon as he gets back."

Deanna laughed, and both of them felt much better.

* * *

Later, Deanna was in her office when she heard the door chime. "Come in," she said. Devinoni Ral entered.

"I missed you at dinner last night," Devinoni said.

Deanna didn't say anything.

"Come on, now. I know you want me. Want to know how I know?"

Deanna looked at him with surprise.

"I'm part Betazoid too, just like you. My mom was one half, so I'm one quarter. I knew exactly what was going through your mind the moment I laid eyes on you for the first time. You were trying to imagine what I looked like naked."

Deanna gasped in shock. Devinoni laughed softly and began to play with her hair.

"You spend too much time in this office. I imagine you've forgotten how to have fun. You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to run away with you. Forget starship duties, family obligations, everything. Just you and me, together. Perhaps on Risa? That would be a nice place to go."

"If you don't leave immediately, I'm going to call security," Deanna said through clenched teeth.

"Oh no, that won't be necessary. I'm leaving right now." Devinoni smiled lazily at her. "Just think about it, okay?"

Deanna stared at the desk top with her cheeks burning. Not with anger, but with shame. Because Devinoni had been absolutely correct about her first thoughts upon seeing him.

* * *

Mr. Mendoza, the negotiator for the Federation, had fallen ill under suspicious circumstances, so Will had been chosen to represent the Federation instead.

Wesley, Worf, and the Captain were watching the two shuttlecrafts from the bridge.

"Sir, the Ferengi vessel is moving out of orbit. They are approaching the entrance to the wormhole," Worf said.

"Request an explanation of your actions," Picard said, after hailing the Ferengi DaiMon Goss, who was aboard the shuttlecraft.

"I've learned that the Federation has manipulated the negotiations from the beginning and has already signed a secret agreement with the Barzans. The Ferengi offer was never seriously considered. We will be ignored no longer," Goss said.

"They've fired a missile directly at the opening, sir," Worf said.

"Destroy it," Picard commanded.

"If the Ferengi cannot have the wormhole, no one will," said Goss.

"A missile will not harm the wormhole but will destroy any shuttlecraft within close range," Picard informed him.

"My men are prepared to die," replied Goss.

"DaiMon Goss, this is Devinoni Ral," said Devinoni. "The planet Barzan has reached an agreement with the Chrysalians for long term control of the wormhole, and the Chrysalians are prepared to offer the Ferengi free access to the wormhole from now on."

"That is an acceptable offer," Goss replied.

"Commander Riker, I'm sorry you had to learn about my decision this way. You represented the Federation well, but the Chrysalians' tradition of peace is more desirable to my planet," said "Bhavani, the Barzan premier.

"Captain, it's the shuttlecraft. They're coming back through," said Wesley.

"Captain, this end of the wormhole is stable for now, but the other end apparently shifts positions periodically, and eventually both sides will be unstable," Data reported.

"The Ferengi shuttlecraft is trapped in the Delta Quadrant. We tried to warm them, but they wouldn't listen," Geordi added. "The wormhole is worthless."

* * *

Devinoni visited Deanna's office later.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out," she told him.

"That's okay. The Chrysalians understood the stakes." He moved forward until his face was only inches away from hers. With a sudden panic, she realized that he had backed her into a corner.

"I'd still like to run away with you, Deanna. You are so beautiful, and I know that you find me attractive as well." Leering at her, he moved his hand to caress one of her breasts. Paralyzed with panic, she somehow found the presence of mind to press her comm badge.

"Security!"

Devonini fled, and a split second later Tasha and Worf appeared, their weapons at the ready.

"What's wrong?" Tasha's eyebrows were creased with concern.

"He...tried to attack me." Deanna was so upset that she could barely get the words out.

"Who?" Tasha was puzzled.

"Never mind. He's gone now." Deanna began to cry. "I don't know what came over me, Tasha," she sobbed. "I love Will so much. I didn't think that I would ever want any other man but him. But as soon as I saw Devinoni, I...I..."

Tasha put her arms around Deanna in a caring embrace. "It's all right, Deanna. As much as I love Data, do you think I don't notice when I'm in the presence of an attractive man? Of course I do! But to make an observation and to act on that observation are two entirely different things, Deanna. You've done nothing to feel guilty about or ashamed of. What you've just been through is very human."

"It's funny, Tasha," Deanna said. "Not too long ago, you were afraid for Data's safety and I comforted you, and now you're comforting me."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." Tasha grinned at her, and she smiled back.


	23. Kestra: A Visit To Tavny

Kestra became good friends with Jeyal's younger sister, Majel. Majel was only slightly older than Kestra, and her daughter, Rina, was about Deirdre's age.

One day Majel invited Kestra and Deirdre to visit herself and Rina on Tavny. Kevin and Donovan couldn't come, of course, since Rina wasn't permitted to meet a boy or man until her sixteenth birthday, as was the case with all Tavnian girls.

Each city on Tavny was divided into three sections: one for married couples with no children, one for girls and their mothers, and one for boys and their fathers. Jeyal and Lwaxana planned to spend six months out of every year in Jeyal's home in the section for married couples and the other six months in Lwaxana's home on Betazed. Kestra and Deirdre planned to visit the sections for married couples and for women and girls. The section for men and boys was, of course, off limits to them.

"Your planet is very beautiful," Kestra told Majel upon their arrival. "It reminds me so much of my own Betazed."

"Yes, I believe our two worlds are very similar physically," Majel agreed. "Just as Betazoids and Tavnians look very similar to each other, although we Tavnians lack the telepathic and empathic abilities of you Betazoids."

"It can be an advantage in some instances, such as when you are trying to help a friend with a personal problem," Kestra told her. "Although when in the presence of someone who is very frightened or angry, the strenth of their emotions can be very draining. Deanna and I are only half Betazoid, so we don't have full telepathic abilities like our mother does."

"Well, what would you like to see first?" asked Majel. They were in the section for women and girls. "Oh, I know. I'll show you the school I attended as a girl. It's the same one Rina attends now." School was not currently in session, so the large grassy yard with playground equipment was deserted. Several large shade trees sheltered the play area from the heat of the Tavnian sun. Kestra thought that it was a very picturesque scene.

"Do you enjoy going to school here?" Kestra asked Rina.

"Yes, I like it a lot," Rina replied. "My teachers are all nice, and I have a lot of friends."

"My school is on a starship," Deirdre told Rina. "All the boys and girls in my class have parents with jobs on the starship, so we all go to school together."

"You have boys in your class too?" Rina sounded shocked.

"Of course! Don't you?"

Rina shook her head. "I've never met a boy, not even my own brother. My mom says that I can meet him and my dad when I'm sixteen."

"You have a son also? I didn't know that," Kestra said to Majel.

Majel nodded. "My Donte. He'll be sixteen on his next birthday, and I'll finally get to meet him. Oh, I can't wait!"

The next thing Majel and Rina showed Kestra and Deirdre was the hospital, which was bustling with doctors and nurses, all female.

"As soon as a baby boy is born, he is immediately whisked away to the men and boys' section," Majel explained.

"What about breast feeding?" Kestra asked.

"If a mother so desires, she can pump breast milk and have it delivered to her son and his father."

An image of Donovan as an infant suckling at her breast entered Kestra's mind and refused to go away. She shuddered involuntarily.

"There are other benefits to breast feeding besides just the nutritional ones, you know," she pointed out.

Majel pretended not to have heard her. "Would you like to visit the mall?" she asked.

"Yes!" Deirdre and Rina enthusiastically proclaimed in unison.

Kestra enjoyed their visit to the mall. The clothing stores contained only women and girls' clothing, of course, and the toy stores contained only dolls and other feminine toys. No balls or other sporting equipment, and no cars, trucks, trains, airplanes, cowboys, or soldiers.

"Don't your children ever get bored with only playing with the same types of toys all the time?" asked Kestra.

Majel looked at Kestra as if she didn't understand what the other woman was talking about. "Our children have a wide variety of playthings. They never get bored," she insisted.

Another image, this one of Donovan and Deirdre contentedly digging in the dirt together one lazy summer evening on Earth, entered Kestra's mind. She thought of everything Rina and her brother Donte were missing out on and involuntarily choked back a sob.

She decided then and there that she had seen quite enough of Tavny, so she thanked Majel and Rina for their hospitality and prepared to leave.

That night Kevin heard his wife sobbing in her sleep.

"What's the matter, hon?" he asked, gently wiping a tear away with his thumb.

"Oh, Kevin, Tavny is such a sad place," she sobbed. "Mothers aren't allowed to bond with their infant sons. Little girls can't play together with their brothers. It's just so...horribly sad."

Kevin put his arms around her in a comforting hug. "Please don't feel so sad, Kestra. It's the only way they know to live. I'm sure our own culture seems equally strange to them."

"But Kevin, you should have seen the look on Majel's face when she spoke of meeting her son Donte for the first time on his sixteenth birthday. I could tell how much she looks forward to it. You can't tell me that it didn't hurt her deeply when he was taken away from her at birth, however much she may pretend otherwise."

Kevin slowly shook his head. "I know it seems that way to you, but we really don't have the right to criticize other cultures, do we? They do what seems best to them just as we do what seems best to us."

"It still just seems so tragic to me, though," Kestra sighed. "I just couldn't bear the thought of never seeing Donovan until he's sixteen, or of Deirdre having to grow up without your love."

"I know, sweetheart, I know." Kevin kissed her and stroked her hair. "Go to sleep, darling. You're tired. It'll all seem better to you in the morning."

Kestra closed her eyes and snuggled up as close to him as she could. She doubted that she would feel better about it in the morning.


	24. Deanna: A Romantic Vacation Ruined

"Boy, does this ever bring back memories," Will said, looking around at the lush greenery of one of the most beautiful spots on Betazed.

"Very happy ones," Deanna agreed with a smile.

Will, Deanna, and Ian were on a quick shore leave to Betazed while the _Enterprise _was on a mission studying a nebula.

Deanna pushed Ian's stroller and Will carried a quilt and picnic supplies as they strolled along and admired the beautiful scenery.

"This looks like the perfect spot to me," Will said as they arrived at a grassy clearing surrounded by shrubbery. He spread the quilt on the ground and began to take the picnic supplies out of their container while Deanna took Ian out of his stroller. He toddled around curiously, his big brown eyes drinking in the wonder of his unfamiliar surroundings.

"This is Betazed, Ian. This is where your mommy and your Auntie Kay-Kay grew up," Deanna told him. His chubby hand picked a flower, and he carried it to her.

"Pwetty," he said.

"It's beautiful, Ian." She smiled at him, and he grinned back.

"This is the life," Will declared, sighing contentedly as he leaned back on the quilt with his arms behind him. "To be here in one of the most beautiful places in the universe with the most beautiful woman who ever lived."

"Oh, Will, you're such a flatterer." Deanna blushed with pleasure.

"I mean it." Will sat straight up and cupped her chin in his hand. "Every time I look at you I wonder what in the world I did to deserve to be so lucky."

"Well, I think I'm pretty lucky too," Deanna murmured shyly, leaning in to kiss him.

Just then they heard the sound of someone approaching, and a split second later Lwaxana appeared. Will and Deanna, frustrated that the romantic mood of the moment had been broken, shared an exasperated look as they waited for the tirade to begin.

Lwaxana and Deanna had argued at a recent party aboard the _Enterprise. _Lwaxana, who was in competition with the members of the other houses of Betazed who were in her generation, some of whom now had half a dozen or more grandchildren, had asked Deanna when she planned to try for a second pregnancy.

"Mother, Ian is only nineteen months old," Deanna had protested. "I don't understand what the rush is. You had Kestra and me seven years apart."

"Yes, and I always regretted it too," Lwaxana had told her. "Being so far apart in age meant that you two were never as close as you should have been because you were always at such different stages of development. If I had it to do over again, I'd have you no more than two years apart, at most."

"Mother, Will and I will try for a second child when and if we feel ready to. Right now we just don't feel that it's the right time," Deanna had told her.

"Why not?" Lwaxana had asked. "And I'll thank you to keep that edge out of your voice," she had added curtly.

"It just isn't, mother. And _I'll _thank _you _to leave that decision up to Will and myself," Deanna had answered in the same tone of voice her mother had used.

Lwaxana had stalked away in a huff.

Now, as Lwaxana approached, Deanna braced herself for another confrontation.

"Ganny!" Ian cried excitedly at the sight of Lwaxana.

""Hello, little one. You are so precious." Lwaxana picked him up and kissed his cheek. "How'd you like a new baby brother or sister?"

"Mother, let's not go there again," Deanna said wearily. "It's such a beautiful day. Why can't we just enjoy it together?"

Just then, Daimon Tog appeared. Tog was a Ferengi who had expressed interest in Lwaxana at the recent party. He was attracted to her, and he wanted to use her telepathic powers to advance his business deals. Lwaxana had turned him down, but he had proven to be very persistent.

"What are _you _doing here?" Lwaxana asked indignantly.

"I wanted to give you one more chance to accept my offer," Tog told her.

"I'll tell you one more time, I am not, nor will I ever be, interested in being your business partner," Lwaxana told him flatly.

"Well, we'll just _see _about that," Tog threatened.

* * *

Deanna felt Will gently shake her and call her name. She opened her eyes and looked around to see that she, Will, Ian, and Lwaxana were in a small, bleak, gray room that appeared to be a prison cell.

Ian opened his eyes and began to whimper. "Mommy!"

"Sh, it's all right, sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy are here, and so is Granny." Deanna cuddled and soothed him.

Presently Tog appeared in the cell.

"I demand to know what's going on," Lwaxana said.

"You are aboard the ship _Krayton. _I intend to beam you both into Farek's lab so that he can study your telepathic powers."

Seeing that she had no choice but to comply, Deanna quickly handed Ian to Will just before she and her mother were beamed out of their clothing and into Farek's lab.

"Maybe now you'll listen to me," Tog growled.

"Please don't hurt my daughter!" Lwaxana cried. "You can do anything you want to me, but please, please let Deanna go. Her baby needs her."

"Very well," Tog said.

Deanna found herself returned to the cell that Will and Ian were in. Ian, terrified at having seen his mother vanish right before his very eyes, was sobbing his heart out, and so far none of Will's attempts to comfort him had worked.

"Look, here's your mommy. She's all right. She came back just like I told you she would," Will told his son. Ian's arms reached for Deanna and clung to her tightly. He buried his face in her breast and finally stopped crying.

Will gained their release from the cell by challenging a Ferengi guard to a game of chess and overcoming him. Once outside the cell, Will attempted to send a message to the _Enterprise _but had no luck.

"The communication system is secured by an access code," Will told Deanna grimly.

"I'll contact my mother and see if she can charm the access code out of Tog," Deanna said. She sent a telepathic message to Lwaxana relaying the new information as Will attempted to find an alternative way to send a message to the _Enterprise._

Deanna suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, much worse than any headache she had ever experienced. Will saw the expression on her face and was instantly alarmed.

"What's wrong, hon?"

"They're doing something to hurt my mother," Deanna cried. "Oh, Will, we have to get her out of there. They'll kill her!"

Will, armed with a phaser, burst into the lab to demand Lwaxana's release. Tog, also armed with a phaser, entered the lab at the same time.

Just then, the _Enterprise _arrived with Jeyal on board. Jeyal, who had been working at the Tavnian embassy on Betazed, had been notified of his wife's disappearance and had joined the effort to rescue her.

"Deanna is only half Betazoid. Her powers wouldn't be of much use to you. The _Enterprise _will never leave you alone as long as Commander Riker is in your custody. Let them go, and I'll stay with you and do whatever you want," Lwaxana said to Tog.

"Very well," Tog said, allowing Will, Deanna, and Ian to be beamed back aboard the _Enterprise._

"I demand the immediate return of my wife," Jeyal snarled.

"Your wife? You never told me you were married." Tog looked at Lwaxana in surprise.

"You told me you didn't want to hear anything about my love life," Lwaxana said.

"Return her immediately, or face the wrath of the entire Tavnian army," Jeyal continued.

"All right, all right. If you want her back that badly, you can have her. There are many other fish in that ocean, and she's just a minnow compared to some of them." He finally allowed Lwaxana to be beamed back aboard the _Enterprise _and then departed.

"I wonder what kind of luck that guy will have in the Betazoid singles bars," Will joked later.

"None at all, without an extreme makeover." Deanna laughed, thinking of Tog's gigantic ears and knobby teeth.

"I'm just so glad we're all back safe and sound aboard the _Enterprise," _Will said. "It's a shame we didn't get to stay longer on Betazed, though. Oh well, there'll be other opportunities to go back there."

Ian, exhausted from the day's adventures, was sound asleep in his mother's arms, his thumb tucked firmly into his mouth.

"Tell you what," Will said with a mischievous grin. "You can get our little one settled down in his crib while I prepare a luxurious bath for two with candlelight, incense, bubble bath, the whole works. Afterwards, we can towel each other off and then I'll give you an entire body massage."

"Now that sounds totally irresistable," Deanna purred, thinking it likely that they would succumb to their passion for one another well before the massage got underway. Will put his arm around her, and they walked back to their quarters.


	25. Kestra: A New Brother

Kestra gasped with surprise when she saw her mother beam aboard the starship in an obvious state of despair. Her surprise turned to shock when she further noticed that Lwaxana was in an advanced state of pregnancy.

"Mother!" Kestra's voice was full of concern as she rushed to embrace her mother. "Why are you crying? Is everything all right with the baby? Why didn't you tell me? I had no idea..."

"It came as a total shock to me," Lwaxana said. "I couldn't believe it! I had thought that my childbearing years were far behind me, and then this..._miracle..._happened." Lwaxana gazed at her rounded belly in awe.

"So you're happy about it then? Then what are you so upset about?" Lwaxana's distress flowed through Kestra's veins like ice water.

"I _won't _let him take my baby away!" Lwaxana spat.

"Who? Who wants to take your baby away?"

"Jeyal!" Lwaxana began to sob in ernest. "He...promised me...that the Tavnian law about boys being raised only by males wouldn't apply to our son, since he's only half Tavnian. But now...he's changed his mind. He wants to take our son away from me at birth and raise him on his own."

Kestra put her arms around her mother and patted her shoulder. "There, there. It'll be all right. We'll protect you from Jeyal."

"But...where will I go? I obviously can't return to Betazed. That's the first place he would look."

"How about Dublin?" Kevin suggested. "You can stay with my mother. She'll be happy to have the company, and he won't think to look for you there."

Lwaxana looked greatly relieved as the starship headed for Earth.

Kevin's mother, Bridget, rushed to great them when they arrived. Her home in Dublin wasn't as large as Lwaxana's on Betazed, but it was cozy and snug and had plenty of room. Bridget had lived alone since Kevin's younger brother, Patrick, had married.

"Oh my, just look at you!" Bridget exclaimed. She had met Lwaxana a handful of times before, but the last time had been when Deirdre was a baby.

"Oh, I know! Isn't it amazing, considering my age?" Lwaxana, her troubles temporarily forgotten, laughed as Bridget embraced her protectively and led her into the house.

"We'll need to get you seen by an obstetrician as soon as possible," Bridget said. "You look as if you're due to deliver really soon."

Lwaxana put her hand on her swollen belly and grimaced in pain.

"He just kicked me," she explained. "He kicks pretty hard sometimes."

Bridget led her to the sofa, and she gingerly sat down.

"I can feel his emotions," Lwaxana announced. "Right now he feels warm, drowsy, and content inside me. Don't we all just wish sometimes that we could return to the security of our mother's womb?"

"Let me get you a blanket, mother. You look so tired," Kestra said. Bridget quickly fetched a blanket, and Lwaxana lay down on the sofa and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

"Your blood pressure is way to high," Dr. Murphy told Lwaxana. "I must admit you to the hospital immediately. If we aren't able to get your blood pressure under control, you're in danger of developing eclampsia, which could lead to seizures."

Lwaxana looked at Kestra with large, frightened eyes. "Please don't leave me, precious one."

"I'm right here, Mom. I'm not going anywhere," Kestra said, patting her hand.

Lwaxana was admitted and hooked up to machines to test her and her baby's vital signs. Kestra felt her mother's unease and wished that there was something she could do to help.

"I just don't see what all the fuss is about," Lwaxana protested. "I don't feel sick at all. I feel just fine."

"I know, Mom. But we have to do what the doctor says. You want a healthy baby, and you want to stay well yourself."

Lwaxana sighed and rolled her eyes. She wasn't accustomed to having her freedom of movement curtailed, and Kestra knew that she would be suffering from a serious case of cabin fever in no time.

An overnight stay in the hospital failed to bring Lwaxana's blood pressure under control, and the decision was made to induce labor, even though Lwaxana's due date was still several weeks away.

"But he's still so tiny," Lwaxana protested. "How can he ever survive?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Troi," Dr. Murphy said. "But your blood pressure is starting to affect your kidneys. Unless this baby is delivered right away, there could be serious consequences to your health."

"Oh, all right," Lwaxana conceded grumpily.

Dr. Murphy started the oxytocin drip, and for a long time, nothing happened. Finally Lwaxana began to have contractions. They were irregular and sluggish at first but gradually increased in strength. Lwaxana moaned in pain and gripped the bed railing tightly.

"Please, Kestra, make the pain go away," she moaned.

"You're going to be all right, Mom. You're doing just fine, and your baby will be here really soon," Kestra said soothingly.

As her contractions intensified, Lwaxana screamed and cursed Jeyal and all men in general.

"I have to push," she moaned to Kestra.

Kestra was alarmed. "Let me check with the doctor," she said.

"No! Don't you understand? I have to push _now!_" Lwaxana grimaced and bore down with all her might.

Kestra watched, fascinated, as the tiniest newborn she had ever seen emerged from her mother's body. He was completely limp, and his skin was a dusky bluish color. Kestra felt a stab of fear as she gazed at her tiny brother's motionless body.

Suddenly the delivery room was buzzing with activity. Dr. Murphy cut the umbilical cord, suctioned out the baby's nose and mouth, and tickled the bottoms of his feet. He began to make tiny bleating noises like a newborn lamb, and his skin tone became much more pinkish.

"Oh, my son...my son..." Lwaxana cried.

The baby was weighed and measured, and his vital signs were taken. He weighed exactly six pounds. He was wrapped in a white blanket and given to Lwaxana.

"His name is Barin," she announced. "That means 'little one' in Tavnian."

Little Barin looked like a perfectly formed miniature doll. His eyes were the same dark brown as those of his mother and sisters, and a slight thickening of the skin between his eyes bore evidence that he was half Tavnian. Kestra felt her heart go out to this tiny brother. Although so much younger than herself, she felt that, having witnessed his birth, she would probably always share a special bond with him.

"He's beautiful, Mother," Kestra said.

"Oh yes, he certainly is," Lwaxana agreed. "I've never had a son before. I didn't have any idea what it would feel like. You know that I love Donovan and Ian dearly, but when I look at Barin, I feel emotions that I've never felt before. I feel that he is my whole life, and that to lose him would be to lose everything."

"Now, don't you worry about that, Mother," Kestra assured her. "No one is going to take him away from you. We'll make sure of that."

* * *

After being examined and declared to be completely healthy by a hospital pediatrician, Barin was allowed to return to Bridget's home with his mother. Donovan and Deirdre were, of course, eager to meet him.

"He sure is tiny," Donovan remarked.

"Of course he is. He's only a few days old," his mother told him.

"So is he my new cousin then?"

"No, he's actually your new uncle."

"My new _uncle? _No way! Your uncle is supposed to be older than you, not younger."

"That's usually the way it goes, but not always," Kestra laughed.

"Well, I'm _not _gonna call him Uncle Barin," Donovan said huffily.

Kestra and Lwaxana both laughed heartily. "I don't think anyone will expect you to call him that," Kestra said.

"Why does he sleep so much?" Deirdre asked.

"He needs a lot of sleep because he's so tiny," Kestra explained.

"Did I sleep a lot like that too when I was a baby?"

"You certainly did."

Lwaxana and Barin, along with Kevin and Kestra and their children, stayed in Bridget's home in Dublin for a number of weeks. There were frequent visits from Kevin's brother Patrick, Patrick's wife Fiona, and their son Connor, who was a few years younger than Deirdre. It was the longest amount of time Kestra had ever spent on Earth at once, and she gradually began to hope that Jeyal had given up his search for his son and returned to Tavny.


	26. Deanna: Men Like You

"Ian and I are going to stay in Tasha's quarters until I decide what to do," Deanna said, her suitcase in one hand and three-year-old Ian's hand in her other. "I'm sorry, Will, but I just can't stay with a man I can't trust."

"Deanna, please listen to me..."

"I've already heard enough, Will."

"It's not like that time on Betazed with Wendy Roper...'

"No, it isn't. This time we're actually _married _to each other," Deanna snapped. "I'll return for the rest of our things later," she added as the door slid shut behind them, leaving Will staring helplessly after them.

* * *

"Of course! You can stay here as long as you like, but what happened?" Tasha's eyebrows were creased with concern.

Deanna was still shaking with rage, so much so that she could barely speak. "I...caught Will with Ro Laren."

_"What?" _Tasha was shocked.

Deanna forced herself to take several deep breaths to calm down, then began to tell Tasha her story.

* * *

**The Previous Day**

Deanna had just beat Data at a game of chess, winning from him a Samaritan Sunset. Basking in the pleasure of her victory, she sat at the bar and watched as he made it.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"I hope you enjoy it."

Deanna stared at the unfamiliar face across from her, wondering what in the world they were both doing there. She saw two people approaching, a tall bearded man and a dark-haired Bajoran woman.

"Who reported to the bridge from this group?" asked the man.

"I did," said Deanna.

"Have you found anything that might give us some insight into what happened?"

"No, but it seems unusual that the bartender is an artificial life form."

"Can I get you something?" asked the bartender, his yellow eyes expressionless.

Both the newcomers declined.

"Your memories are gone as well?" the man asked the bartender.

"The data banks that identify who I am are not functioning."

"There's another thing. I don't know if it means anything, but I seem to have an ability that the others don't. I have a very strong sense of what other people are feeling, and just for a moment, you seemed familiar," Deanna told the man.

"You remember me?" asked the man.

"Not exactly. I mean, I don't know who you are, but there's something about you."

"Bridge to survey team," boomed a deep voice.

"Survey team here. Go ahead," said the man.

"We have accessed the personnel files. Report to the bridge immediately."

After a search of the computer records, Deanna learned that her name was Deanna Troi and that she was the ship's counselor. The man and woman she had encountered earlier were William Riker and Ro Laren, and the artificial life form's name was Data. The ship she was on was called the _Enterprise, _it was part of the United Federation of Planets, and it was currently in a state of war with the Lysian Alliance. She didn't yet know whether she was married or had any children. A real nightmare situation existed inside the starship's child care center, with workers struggling to learn first their own identities and then those of the parents of each child.

Deanna learned the location of her quarters and went there. From the items she found in various places around her quarters, it was evident that she shared them with a man and a small child, so that must mean that she was a wife and mother. She longed to know who her husband and child were, but knew that she must be patient.

As she glanced around her bedroom, a book on the dresser caught her eye. Curious, she picked it up and looked at the title. It was 'Ode To Psyche' by John Keats. She opened it and found a handwritten note inside the the front cover. The note said, 'To Will, all my love, Deanna.'

Will? Will Riker, as in William Riker? It hit her like a bolt of lightning. Of course! No wonder he had seemed so familiar to her! With the book in hand, she left her quarters in a desperate search to find the man she now knew to be her husband.

After several inquiries, someone finally told her that they had seen him in the company of Ro Laren, and that they had been headed in the direction of Laren's quarters. With her heart in her throat, Deanna headed there herself. Testing the door, she found to her tremendous relief that they had forgotten to lock it. She opened the door, and what she saw made her feel as if someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water on her. Will and Laren were in Laren's bedroom, both in various stages of undress. Will's shirt was off, and so was Laren's, but she was still wearing her bra, thank goodness.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Deanna shrieked.

Will and Laren, too shocked to respond, just stood there staring at her. Enraged, she stalked over to Laren.

"You just couldn't wait to get your hands on my husband, could you!" she screamed, raising a hand to strike Laren. Laren blocked the blow, and a fight ensued. Will stepped between them and separated them, grabbing one woman's arm in each of his hands.

"Whoa! Stop it right now, both of you!" he shouted.

"Who the hell are you?" Laren demanded, her eyes blazing.

"I'm his _wife, _damn it!" Deanna retorted.

"Calm down now, both of you," Will said quietly. "We'll get to the bottom of this somehow."

Wordlessly, Deanna handed Will the book. He glanced at the cover, then opened it and read the message inside. His face paled, and he stared at Deanna in amazement. Deanna stared back at him, her misery evident in her expression. Laren looked sulky. No one said anything for a long time. Then Will silently put his shirt back on and left Laren's quarters with Deanna.

"We have a child, too," Deanna told him flatly.

"How do you know?"

"There's a toddler bed and toys in a room in our quarters."

They silently walked to the child care center, not looking at one another. The workers had finally found the files on each child and so knew who all the parents were. They brought a gorgeous little boy with wavy dark hair and enormous brown eyes to meet Will and Deanna. "This is your son. His name's Ian," said the child care worker.

"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!" Ian grinned at them. Happily, the children's memories had been unaffected. Feeling somewhat like a character in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone', Deanna grabbed her son's chubby hand and walked him back to their quarters. Will, his head hung in shame, walked a couple of steps behind them. When they reached their quarters, Deanna undressed and bathed Ian, then dressed him in his pajamas, read him a bedtime story, and tucked him in bed. Noticing that Will was already asleep in their bed, she lay down on the sofa and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The issue was resolved the next day. The _Enterprise _crew had been invaded by a member of the Satarrans, a race that had long been at war with the Lysians. The Satarran, disguised as a Commander named Keiran MacDuff, had suppressed the crew's memories so that he could use the sophisticated weapons technology of the _Enterprise _to fight the Lysians. Will and Worf had uncovered the plot and disabled the Satarran invader, and Dr. Crusher was finally able to access the crew's medical records and restore their memories.

* * *

"You've wanted her all along, haven't you?" Deanna accused.

"Deanna, you're being ridiculous! I swear, if I had remembered who you were, who I was, and that we were married, I would never have dreamed of sleeping with Laren. I wasn't the one who approached her. She threw herself at me. Said she had a funny feeling that I spent a lot of my off time in her quarters."

"And you didn't exactly do anything to discourage her either."

"Deanna, it was a really crazy time. I didn't know who I was. I didn't know who she was. For all I knew, I could have been married to her."

"It's at times like that that we do the things we've secretly always wanted to do. I'm a psychologist, Will. I _know _these things."

"But we didn't actually _do _anything, Deanna."

"Only because I barged in on you when I did. If I hadn't, you would have spent the night with her. Tell me you wouldn't have."

Will stared at the ground and didn't say anything.

"You told me that kind of behavior was behind you, Will. I trusted you! As it turned out, that was a mistake, a _big _one. Men like you never really change."


	27. Kestra: Confrontation

"Oh my God! That's terrible!" Kestra cried. Kevin put his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her, although he was in a state of shock himself.

Kestra and Kevin had just learned that their starship had been attacked and destroyed by two Romulan warbirds. Many of the crew had either been killed or gone missing, and the remaining crew were awaiting reassignment.

"May we please be reassigned to the _Enterprise?" _Kestra asked her former captain, who was amongst those waiting to be reassigned himself. "My sister and brother-in-law are stationed aboard her."

"You may submit a formal request to that effect, but of course I can't guarantee that it will be approved," he replied. "I will use whatever influence I have with the powers that be to see that your request is granted."

"Thank you so very much!" Although deeply saddened by the loss of her former co-workers, the idea of being able to see Deanna and Ian on a regular basis filled Kestra with joy.

Kevin and Kestra's transfer requests were approved, and on the appointed day they were beamed aboard the _Enterprise, _accompanied by Lwaxana and Barin.

"Oh, my new brother!" Deanna squealed excitedly, taking Barin into her arms. She spoke softly to him, and he smiled and cooed back at her.

"He looks so much like Ian did at that age, except for his nose, of course," she commented. Lwaxana scowled at the reminder of her son's Tavnian father.

"I can't wait to see Ian again. How's he been?" asked Kestra.

"Fine, considering," Deanna said softly.

"Considering what?"

Deanna sighed heavily. "His father and I are separated right now. It's been kind of rough on Ian. He's too little to understand why his mommy and daddy don't live with each other anymore."

"Oh no, Deanna! What happened?" Kestra was shocked and dismayed.

"It's kind of a long story, K. I'll tell you all about it after you've settled."

Kevin, Kestra, and their children were shown to their new quarters. Lwaxana and Barin would be staying in adjoining quarters. Deanna set up Ian's outgrown crib for Barin in Lwaxana's bedroom, and later that evening brought Ian himself to meet his new uncle.

"Oh my! Just look at how you've grown!" exclaimed Lwaxana, scooping Ian up into her arms.

"Hi Granny!" shouted Ian.

"Oh, don't call me that! It makes me feel so old!" Lwaxana protested.

"I don't think that he can quite pronouce 'Lwaxana' yet," Deanna laughed.

"Now where are you two staying?" Lwaxana asked.

"We're staying with Tasha in her quarters for now."

"And what did William do to make you leave?"

"He...well, the bottom line is, I feel that I can no longer trust him. I thought that his days of philandering were behind him, but then something happened to prove me wrong."

"William had an affair?" Lwaxana raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well...not exactly. But he came pretty close."

"Well, coming close to having an affair and actually having one aren't quite the same, are they?"

"Well, technically no, but in Will's case, he came so close that I'm not sure that I could ever trust him again."

Ian, fascinated by baby Barin, stood by the crib and lightly touched Barin's arm.

"Him has soft skin."

"Yes he does, doesn't he?" Lwaxana smiled fondly at her grandson.

"Him play with Ian?"

"When he's a little bit older he can. Right now he's too little."

Ian, looking a tad disappointed, touched the baby's head. "Him has soft hair too."

"I just can't get over how much you resemble your father, except for your brown eyes, of course," Lwaxana told Ian.

Ian looked at his grandmother, confused. Deanna felt a sharp pain deep inside her heart.

"You know, I always thought that you and William went together so well. It's a shame that this has happened."

"Tomorrow we're picking up Dr. Timicin, the leading scientist of Kaelon Two," Deanna told her, changing the subject.

"Never heard of it."

"Captain Picard says that they're a rather reclusive race."

"Well, that makes it all the more interesting then, doesn't it?"

* * *

"He's simply a wonderful man, precious one!" Lwaxana told Kestra when she stopped by her daughter's quarters to visit for a few minutes before settling down for the night. Kestra held a sleeping Barin while she listened to her mother talk.

"His planet's sun is dying, and he and his people have turned to the Federation for help. He's been working to find a way to revitilize their sun for forty years now. It's been his life's work."

"His wife's been dead for a number of years now. He has a daughter only a few years younger than Deanna and a seven-year-old grandson."

"Oh, and he loved my Mantickian pate."

* * *

"She's been lonely for a long time, K. He's kind and patient with her, and she's flattered by that. After all, how many people really take the time to listen to her? Besides us, of course," Kevin said. Kestra was discussing the situation involving her mother and Timicin with her husband before going to bed that night.

"I just don't want her to get hurt again, Kev. I wish she wouldn't rush into these things so quickly. You'd think she'd be much more careful after what happened with Jeyal."

"She's a grown woman, K. She has the right to make her own decisions."

Kestra sighed. "If only my father were still alive..."

Kevin put his arms around his wife and rubbed her back. "I wish he'd lived too, sweetie. I would have loved to have met him. But you can't carry the world on your shoulders. You have to let your mother live her own life."

"Yeah, I know." Kestra put her head on Kevin's shoulder and yawned.

Kestra didn't see her mother again for a couple of days. When Lwaxana finally returned to her older daughter's quarters, Kestra could feel her deep distress.

"Oh, precious one, I just learned something terrible!"

"What is it, Mother?"

"Timicin is returning to Kaelon Two in four days to die. You see, his society has a tradition called 'The Resolution'. What that means is that every person is expected to commit suicide on their sixtieth birthday. It was decided long ago that there was no practical reason for anyone to outlive their usefulness and become a burden on society, so they just arbitrarily chose the sixtieth birthday as the day no one may live past."

"Timicin told me that he loved me and planned to seek asylum aboard the _Enterprise _so that we could marry and be together. I was so happy to hear that! But then his adult daughter Dara visited and gave him a sob story about how she wouldn't be able to visit his grave if he were buried anywhere except on Kaelon Two beside her mother. Also, the leaders of the planet have threatened to fire on the _Enterprise _if she leaves with Timicin on board. So now he is wavering. Oh, precious one, why?"

Kestra put her arms around her sobbing mother and tried her best to comfort her, but somehow words failed her.

The next day a very unwelcome guest beamed aboard the _Enterprise. _

"I have come for my son," Jeyal snarled. "I will not have him raised by weak, pathetic females. He will be raised by myself amongst other males, as it should be." He took several threatening steps toward Lwaxana, who held Barin protectively to her breast and frantically shook her head.

"The Tavnian law is on my side," Jeyal insisted. "Refusal to hand my son over to me will be regarded as an act of treachery by the Tavnian government and will be punished accordingly."

"No! You can't have him! Go back where you came from and leave me alone!" Lwaxana clutched her son more tightly and began to cry. Kestra watched helplessly from the bridge. Her heart was breaking for her mother, but she knew that there was nothing that she could do to help the situation.

"Leave her alone, Jeyal." Kestra and Lwaxana watched, astonished, as Will Riker approached Jeyal. "You're not taking Barin anywhere. He's staying right where he is."


	28. Deanna: Imzadi Is Forever

_A/N: This chapter is partially based on an episode of DS9 entitled 'The Muse'._

As Will drew closer, Deanna noticed that Timicin was right behind him.

"I have studied Tavnian law at length, and have found a loophole," Will announced. "Custody of a male child belongs to it's mother's husband, not necessarily to the biological father of the child."

"I love Lwaxana very much and want to marry her," Timicin added. "If she accepts my proposal, her marriage to Jeyal will become null and void, and custody of Barin will revert to me. I will raise him as my own son."

Jeyal scowled. "Such a marriage of convenience is not recognized by Tavnian law," he said. "For a marriage to be legal, the woman's current husband must be thoroughly convinced of the new suitor's love. Therefore, I will be in attendance at the wedding of my son's mother to her new husband."

"Very well," said Timicin.

* * *

Timicin's sixtieth birthday came and went. The leaders of Kaelon Two cut off all communication with the _Enterprise _and refused to acknowledge Captain Picard's hails.

"To them, it's just as if I never existed at all," Timicin said mournfully. "Because I refused to die on my sixtieth birthday, they have completely rejected me. I'll never see my daughter and grandson again."

Deanna gave him a comforting hug. "We're your family now," she told him. "I know that you will miss them very much, but we all love you and want you to be happy."

On the day of her wedding, Lwaxana was positively glowing. Timicin looked as if he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"As you know, I come from a very reclusive race," he began. "My contact with outsiders has been very limited. My first marriage was a happy one, and I mourned bitterly when my first wife died. After that, I just assumed that I would be alone for the rest of my life."

"Lwaxana is like no other woman I've ever known. She's warm, vibrant, beautiful, witty, and so full of life. Before I even realized it I had fallen deeply in love with her."

"In a very real sense, you can say that Lwaxana has saved my life. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would die on my sixtieth birthday as my culture dictates. Thanks to Lwaxana, I have so much to live for now that I didn't have before. I have a loving wife to grow old together with and a beautiful new son to raise. I've come to realize that with Lwaxana and Barin is where I belong. Lwaxana has brought so much joy into my life, and I will be forever grateful to her for that."

Deanna could tell from Jeyal's expression that he had been deeply touched by Timicin's speech. "You have convinced me of your sincerity," he told Timicin. "I can see that the love you have for Lwaxana is real and that you truly cherish her."

Then he turned to Lwaxana. "You were once my treasure," he said sadly. "Speak well of me to our son."

Jeyal left alone, and Lwaxana and Timicin happily began their new life together.

* * *

"I really appreciate what you did for my mother," Deanna told Will later. "I noticed that you'd been spending a lot of time in the _Enterprise _library lately, but I had no idea you were spending all that time studying Tavnian law."

"Lwaxana is my son's grandmother, and Barin is his uncle," Will said simply. "Their well-being is of utmost concern to me."

Deanna couldn't sleep that night. She just couldn't stop thinking about how things could have gone for her mother if Will hadn't intervened. If Will hadn't gone to the effort of researching Tavnian law, Lwaxana may well have lost custody of Barin and never seen him again until his sixteenth birthday. Moreover, Timican may have been coerced into going to his death on Kaelon Two.

It also occurred to Deanna that, although she hadn't been with Will sexually since discovering him in Ro Laren's quarters, she had never seen him in the company of any other woman except when necessary professionally. His relationship with Laren since that time had been strictly professional, and all his spare time, when not spent in the library, had been spent either in the company of men or alone.

Deanna thought of the incident with Devinoni Ral and felt a stab of guilt. If all her own memories had been suppressed at the time, would she have given in to Devinoni's charms? She knew that she well may have.

Deanna suddenly realized what she must do, what she in fact desperately wanted to do. Quietly she arose from Tasha's sofa and collected a sleeping Ian from his toddler bed. Carefully, so as not to awaken Ian, she crept to Will's quarters and let herself in. She gently laid Ian on the sofa and silently made her way to the bedroom, where Will lay gently snoring. Trying her best not to disturb him, she crept underneath the covers on her side of the bed.

Hoping that he would be open to her, she spoke to Will telepathically. _All is forgiven, Imzadi. _Will turned over, put his arm around her, and held her close. She felt the deep love he had for her enveloping her, surrounding her like a warm blanket. With a sigh of contentment, she finally fell asleep.

She awoke the following morning to find Will sitting in bed beside her with a smile on his lips. "Good morning, beautiful," he said.

"Oh, Will," she cried. "I've treated you so coldly and been so judgemental. I knew that you had no memory of being married to me when you were with Laren, yet I treated you so harshly. Can you ever forgive me?"

Will laughed gently. "Oh, Deanna, there's nothing to forgive. I'm sure I would have reacted exactly the way you did if the situation had been reversed."

"I just feel so angry at that Satarran for almost breaking us up."

"It would take a lot more than a Satarran to break us up, my dear," Will assured her. "Imzadi is forever. You know that."

"Imzadi is forever," Deanna echoed softly.

"Oh God, Deanna, I just love you so much," Will whispered. He kissed her lips, softly at first, then more passionately.

"Daddy!" Will and Deanna were started for a minute. Then they both laughed as Ian joyfully ran toward the bed and climbed up on it.

"How's my boy?" Will asked, snatching Ian into his arms and giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I've missed you so much, kiddo." With his free arm he grabbed Deanna around the shoulders and pulled her close in a three-way hug.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm starving," he announced a minute or so later. "Breakfast is chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and lots of chocolate syrup."

"Yummy!" shouted Ian.

On their way to the child care center to drop Ian off, they crossed paths with Ro Laren. She smiled warmly at Deanna, and Deanna smiled back at her.


	29. Kestra: Disaster

One morning Kestra felt her stomach lurch as soon as she tried to get out of bed. Easing herself back onto the pillow, she tried once again, more slowly this time. She sat on the edge of the bed with her head spinning madly for a couple of minutes, then tried to stand and felt the floor rock wildly beneath her feet.

"Are you all right, hon?" Kevin looked at her with concern.

"I think I'd better call in sick today," Kestra murmured.

Kevin came to her bedside and lovingly stroked her hair. "Would you like for me to stay home and take care of you?"

"Oh, no, no, Kevin. I'll be all right. It's probably just a twenty-four hour bug," Kestra said weakly.

Donovan and Deirdre chattered while they ate breakfast and got ready for school.

"Marissa Flores sure is lucky," Deirdre said. "She and a couple of other kids won the school science fair, and they get to tour the ship with the Captain today."

"Big deal," said Donovan.

"Well, _I _think it's pretty exciting," Deirdre retorted.

"Are you sure you'll be all right on your own?" Kevin asked again just before leaving.

"Go on ahead to work, Kev. Geordi and Data need your help. I'll be fine."

Kevin bent to tuck the covers around his wife and kiss her cheek before turning to go.

Kestra fell asleep again almost immediately, and awoke several hours later to the sound of the door chime. Holding to furniture for support, she made her way to the door, where, to her surprise, Donovan and Deirdre stood waiting to be admitted.

"A quantum filament hit the ship," Donovan explained. "A bunch of people are injured, and there's been a lot of destruction to the ship, too. Communication's down, too, so they just sent us all home early."

"I'm scared, Mom." Deirdre was crying. Kestra held her tightly and patted her back.

"It's all right, sweetie. I'm here."

"What about Dad?" asked Donovan. "He works in engineering in the stardrive section. With communication down, we have no way of finding out if he's all right."

Deirdre began to cry harder.

"All we can do is hope and pray," Kestra said, feeling as if she were about to pass out. She began to swoon, and Donovan steadied her.

"Go back to bed, Mom. I promise I'll let you know just as soon as I hear anything." Donovan helped his mother back to bed, and she was asleep again almost immediately.

Kestra's illness caused her to doze off and on for the rest of the evening. At one point she became vaguely aware of another person entering the quarters and being joyfully greeted by Donovan and Deirdre. As he came to her bedside and gathered her into his arms, she realized that he was Kevin.

"What happened?" she asked sleepily.

"I very nearly never made it back, that's what happened. I'm just so glad to see you and the children again, sweetheart," Kevin said. "If it weren't for your sister and her incredible leadership abilities, Will and I wouldn't even be here."

"What do you mean?"

"The antimatter containment field was failing," Kevin explained. "Ro Laren wanted to separate the saucer section from the stardrive section to save the saucer section from the explosion that was sure to follow. Deanna wanted to wait to be sure that there was no one left alive in the stardrive section. Will removed Data's head and rigged it to the controls. When he saw that the containment field was failing, he connected Data's head to a link to stabilize the field, so the explosion was avoided. When Loren saw the field return to normal from the bridge monitors, she realized that Will and I were down there. If it hadn't been for Deanna stopping Loren from separating the saucer section from stardrive before, Will and I would be just floating around out there in space forever."

"Wow! He took Data's head _off?" _Donovan was astonished.

"Well, yes, son. As you know, Data is an android, so his body parts can be taken off and put back on, much like those of a machine."

"I would have loved to have seen _that!" _Donovan exclaimed.

"Me too!" Deirdre chimed in. "I wonder what happened with Marissa and the other kids on their tour?"

"I heard they were stranded in a turbolift with Captain Picard and had to escape by climbing up the turbolift shaft until they found a door that opened onto a corridor and was unlocked," Kevin told her.

"I was a little bit jealous of Marissa for winning that science fair, but I'm not anymore!" Deirdre said. "I can't wait to talk to her about it tomorrow!"

"How are you doing, hon? Feeling any better?" Kevin softly touched his wife's cheek.

"A little bit. I still feel kind of weak, but at least I can hold my head up for longer than five minutes at a time now. I think I'll be able to go back to work tomorrow," Kestra replied.

That night in bed, Kevin and Kestra held to each other extra tightly, both of them thinking how grateful they were that Deanna had made the decision she had made.


	30. Deanna: Meeting Soren

One day Deanna met Will for lunch as usual and was surprised to see that he was accompanied by a person with short brown hair who was wearing a one-piece light brown outfit.

"Deanna, this is Soren," Will said by way of introduction. "Soren is a member of the J'naii race. They have contacted us to investigate the disappearance of one of their shuttlecraft into an anomaly called null space. Soren and I are working together as a team to find the missing shuttlecraft and rescue its crew."

"How do you do." Deanna extended a hand toward Soren.

"It's very nice to meet you, Deanna. The Commander told me that you are his mate."

"His _mate?"_

"The J'naii are a genderless race, so Soren is unfamiliar with terms such as 'husband' and 'wife'," Will explained.

"So you are neither male nor female?" Deanna asked Soren.

"That is correct," Soren told her.

The three of them found a table in Ten Forward, and Will served the other two and then himself.

"What is it?" asked Soren.

"Split pea soup. It's my father's recipe. It's very healthy and helps to keep you warm on cold Alaskan nights."

"We prefer to stay warm by sleeping with a friend," said Soren.

Will and Deanna exchanged shocked looks.

"Not to mate. Just for warmth," Soren clarified.

"Still sounds better than pea soup." Will chuckled. "Let me ask you, what's it like on a planet where the people have no gender?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, who leads when you dance? If you dance."

"We do, and whoever's taller leads."

"Would you like to join us for dinner in our quarters tonight, Soren? We'd love to have you," Deanna said. She was intrigued by the genderless person and hoped to learn more about the J'naii culture.

"I'd enjoy that very much. Thank you, Deanna," Soren replied.

* * *

Deanna was just finishing setting the table that evening when Soren arrived.

"You have a lovely residence," Soren told Will and Deanna.

Ian, who had been playing with his toy Starfleet officers and starship, looked up at Soren with interest. "Are you a boy or a girl?" he asked.

"I'm neither a boy nor a girl," Soren told him.

"But you _hafta _be one or the other." Ian looked frustrated.

"Not on my planet. On my planet, which is called 'J'naii', we are neither boys nor girls. We just are. I'm very curious about the differences between boys and girls though. You're a little boy, aren't you? What is it that makes you a little boy?"

Grinning cheekily, Ian took his penis out of his pants and showed it to Soren.

"Oh!" Soren gasped, startled.

"Ian!" scolded Deanna, although it was all she could do to keep from doubling over with laughter, as Will was already doing.

Ian grinned as if he had just done something very clever, and Soren looked bewildered.

"As my son has so aptly demonstrated, there are physical differences," Will told Soren, when he could speak again. "Most people think there are emotional differences as well, but that's the kind of question that would take a lifetime to answer."

"Girls cry more," Ian offered.

"Now, Ian, I don't think that's necessarily true at all," Deanna reproved him.

* * *

The next day, Deanna was reviewing some patient files when she heard her door chime.

"Please come in," she said.

Soren entered.

"Hello, Soren. Please have a seat," Deanna said. "I'm sorry if Ian upset you last night. He's only three."

"Oh no, not at all. He's adorable."

Deanna waited for Soren to continue.

Soren sighed. "You see, Deanna, occasionally, among my people, there are a few who are born different, with strong inclinations toward maleness or femaleness. I am one of the latter."

"Is this something that you are unhappy about, that you would like to change?"

Soren hesitated. "It's a part of who I am that I have come to accept. However, on my world, those feelings are forbidden. Those who are discovered are shamed and ridiculed, and only by undergoing psychotectic therapy and having all elements of gender eliminated can they be accepted into society again."

"I've known I was different all my life, but I didn't understand how or why until I was older. Once I got older, and knew what I was, I was terrified. I've had to live with that fear ever since."

"I wanted to tell you this because I think of you and the Commander as my friends, and I feel that I can be honest with you. Please don't say anything about this to any of the other J'naii's. I don't want to be forced to undergo psychotectic treatment. I like myself the way I am."

"Oh, of course I won't, Soren." Deanna was heartbroken for her new friend, but she couldn't imagine how to help her, short of suggesting that she seek asylum on the _Enterprise, _which might risk violating the Prime Directive.

"I feel so sad for you. I wish so badly that you could be your true self without fear of rejection."

"Things are so different here on the _Enterprise. _Everyone is accepted as they are. It's been a welcome respite from the way things are on my own world."

"I hope that someday things are different on your world, Soren. I appreciate your confiding in me, and I wish you the best."

"Thank you, Deanna." Soren stood, and the two women embraced.

* * *

When Deanna returned home that evening, she told Will about the conversation she had had with Soren.

"So is Soren really a girl then?" asked Ian, who had overheard the conversation.

"Yes, but we can't tell anybody. It has to be our secret."

"I _told _her you hafta be one or the other," Ian said triumphantly.

The missing J'naii shuttlecraft was found, its inhabitants were rescued, and a celebration in Will's honor was held on the planet J'naii. Kestra offered to babysit Ian so that Deanna could accompany her husband to the function.

Will and Deanna had been at the party for some time when Will touched Deanna's hand and whispered in her ear.

"It's so stuffy in here. Let's step outside for awhile."

Hand in hand, they walked out into the courtyard.

"J'naii is such a beautiful planet," Deanna commented. "Just look at all this lush plant life. I've never seen anything like it." She had stopped to examine the leaves of a particularly interesting bush when she felt Will's hand on her elbow. She turned to face him, and he covered her mouth with his own. Surprised but delighted, she returned his passion with equal fervor. She felt him harden against her and wished that there was a place where they could go to be private. Gently, she covered the bulge in his clothing with one hand.

"Tonight," she whispered.

"I can't wait," he whispered back.

By the time they had returned to the _Enterprise, _collected a sleepy Ian from Kestra's, and tucked him into his own little bed in their quarters, Will and Deanna could barely restrain themselves. They hurried to their own bedroom, where they lost no time in divesting one another of all their clothing. Deanna kissed Will's manhood tenderly several times before taking him all the way into her mouth and lovingly massaging every inch of his sensitive skin with her tongue. She heard his moans of pleasure, and they drove her wild with desire. When he began to thrust, she lay back on the bed. As soon as she felt him slide into her, she began to moan and buck wildly. Both of them came almost instantly. Afterwards, drowsy and content, they fell asleep in one another's arms, and Deanna dreamed lovely dreams of dark nights filled with sensual pleasures in the woods.


	31. Kestra: Helping Tasha

"Worf saw Isabella today," Deirdre told Kestra one afternoon. "She, Clara and I ran into him in a corridor." Clara was a casual friend of Deirdre's with whom she sometimes played.

"Now, Deirdre, you know as well as I do that Clara only likes to believe that Isabella is real." Kestra was concerned that Clara's overactive imagination was having a detrimental effect on her daughter.

"Isabella is _too _real!" Deirdre insisted. "I've met her, and now Worf has too."

"Then why have neither I nor your father ever met her?"

"I don't know. But you will someday."

* * *

One day Kestra was babysitting Ian when Tasha came by for a visit.

"He's simply adorable," Tasha said as she watched Ian at play. "How I wish that Data and I could have a child of our own!"

Kestra looked at her questioningly.

"Since Data's an android, he's unable to produce sperm," Tasha explained. Kestra had suspected that that was the case, but as she considered it to be none of her business, she had never asked.

"Have you considered adoption?"

Tasha shrugged. "I've thought about it a few times, but I really have the longing to feel my baby growing inside of me. Every time I see a pregnant woman, I just get so jealous."

"Perhaps artificial insemination with donor sperm is an option you could consider."

"That just seems...funny, somehow. Carrying the baby of a stranger does, I mean."

"Would it be more comfortable for you if the sperm donor were a man you know?"

"I'd have no idea who to ask. I'd never ask Kevin or Will, of course, or any married man, for that matter."

"Why don't you talk it over with Data and see what he thinks."

"I know that he wishes that he could be a father, but I don't know how he would feel about raising another man's biological child as his own. I'll ask him about it first chance I get."

* * *

"Isabella got jealous because Clara played with me and Alexander today," Deirdre told Kestra the next day. "I saw Clara later on, and she looked really scared. You know what Isabella said to her? 'When the others come, you can die along with everyone else.'"

"Deirdre, I think that this has gone just about far enough." Kestra was frustrated. "To invent an imaginary friend is one thing, but to make up scary stories about them, and to use those stories to try to scare other children, is something else entirely. I think that perhaps you should stop playing with Clara until she gives up this imaginary friend."

"But she's my _friend, _Mom! And besides, Isabella _is _real."

"I know you feel sorry for her because she doesn't have very many friends, and it's kind of you to spend time with her, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to be involved in this whole Isabella thing. It's silly at best and dangerous at worst."

"Dangerous?"

"Think about it, sweetheart. Why would she pretend to have Isabella get jealous and threaten her?"

"She didn't pretend it, Mom. It really happened."

Kestra sighed deeply. She could see that extricating her daughter from this situation was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought that it would be.

* * *

Kestra ate lunch with Deanna and Tasha the next day. Kestra had told Deanna about Tasha's desire to have a baby.

"So did you talk to Data yet?" Kestra asked Tasha.

"Mm hm."

"Well, what did he say?"

"He said that he understands that the urge to procreate is an innate drive in the human species, and so it's to be expected that I would have the longings that I have. He said that he regrets that he is unable to fulfill my desire himself, and that, given the circumstances, it would be acceptable with him for me to be inseminated by another man."

"But did he really seem..._okay _with it?" Deanna wanted to know.

"Well, you know Data." All three women laughed. "Not really being capable of human emotion, I don't suppose that he could really say that he was either happy or unhappy with the idea. I guess hearing him say that it would be 'acceptable' to him would be the closest I could get to his approval."

"It sounds to me as if what he told you was his way of giving you his approval," Kestra said.

"You know what? I think you're right!" Tasha looked immensely relieved.

"Now all that's left is to find an appropriate sperm donor," Deanna said. As if on cue, Reginald Barclay approached the table where the three women were seated.

"Say, have you heard the news?" he asked them. "Captain Picard has met the energy-based lifeform that's in control of the nebula surrounding the _Enterprise. _It had disguised itself as a litle girl named Isabella and befriended one of the children on the starship. The Captain is negotiating with it right now for safe passage through the nebula."

"Well, at least that solves the Isabella mystery," Kestra said. Deanna shot her a look, and Kestra read her mind instantly. _He'd be perfect!_

"Uh...Reginald?"

Reginald looked inquisitively at Kestra.

"Um...Tasha has a huge favor she'd like to ask of you."

Reginald looked at Tasha, bewildered.

"Well...um...you see," Tasha began, her face turning crimson. "Data and I would love to become parents, but since Data's an android, he can't produce sperm. I...we...well, we were hoping that we would be able to find a human man willing to donate sperm so that I could get pregnant."

Reginald looked shocked. "So are you considering me as a prospective father for this baby you hope to conceive?"

Tasha nodded. "I realize that it's a lot to ask, and of course I wouldn't expect an answer right away, as I know you'd probably rather have time to think about it first."

Reginald looked perplexed. "Well...sure, Tasha, I'd love to help you out. But, gosh, I mean, how would that work? The kid would just have two fathers, Data and me?"

"Well, of course, Data would be its principal father figure, but we'd be happy to let you see as much of the child as you'd like."

"What would he or she be told about me?"

"When he or she is old enough to understand, we'd simply tell them that you're their genetic father, but that Data loves them as if they were his own. I mean, if Data were truly capable of love...well, you know what I mean." Tasha was getting exasperated with trying to explain.

"Well...I suppose that sounds all right. When would this procedure take place?"

"I'd have to talk it over with Dr. Crusher, as I'm sure she would need to monitor me to find out what time of the month I'm most fertile."

"All right, well...check with her and then get back with me." Reginald smiled a friendly smile and then left. After he was gone, Tasha let out a sigh of relief and laughed.

"Well! That was easier than I thought it would be."

* * *

A couple of months later, Tasha lay on her back on a hard, uncomfortable table in sickbay, completely naked except for the surgical gown covering her upper body. Her feet were up in stirrups. Data stood at one side, and Kestra stood at the other. Both of them were holding her hand. The three of them, along with Dr. Crusher, were waiting for Reginald to emerge from a side door. When he finally did, his face was flushed, and he was perspiring. He silently handed Dr. Crusher a small vial.

"Are you ready, Tasha?" Dr. Crusher asked her.

Tasha nodded nervously.

"This won't hurt at all, I promise. All you'll feel is warmth and wetness."

Tasha closed her eyes as Dr. Crusher prepared to inject the sample into her. She breathed regularly and slowly in and out and kept her eyes closed during the entire procedure, which took only a few seconds. Afterwards, she had to lie perfectly still on her back with her legs raised for a certain number of minutes. Then she and Data returned to their quarters, and Kestra returned to her own. In a few days, Dr. Crusher would know if the first insemination had resulted in a successful pregnancy or if they would have to try again next month.


	32. Deanna: Visiting The Nineteenth Century

As soon as Deanna walked into Ten Forward, she saw Kestra and Tasha waving her over to their table. They both looked very excited. Intrigued, Deanna hurried to join them.

"I'm pregnant!" Tasha exclaimed as soon as Deanna was within earshot.

"Wow! Congratuations!" Deanna could sense the happiness and excitement radiating from both women. "So it finally took this time!" Tasha had been attempting artificial insemination for several months now, only to be disappointed when she failed to get pregnant each month. Although Beverly had assured her that it often took several months for a pregnancy to be achieved even using natural methods, it had been difficult for her to avoid becoming discouraged.

"What was Data's reaction?" Deanna wanted to know.

"If he were capable of emotion, he'd be thrilled."

"And Reg? How does he feel about it?"

"He's pleased, of course. Although he's too modest to show it, I think this has done wonders for his ego. For once he's actually succeeded at something he set out to do."

"What's your due date?"

"Beverly says I'm about four weeks along, so she thinks the baby will be born the first week of May."

"I'm so happy for you, Tasha. I've been through it myself, you know, so if you ever need any advice about anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

* * *

Later, Deanna and Will were walking down the corridor together.

"I heard about Data," Deanna said.

"Yeah."

"It's been having an unusually traumatic effect on everyone."

"Yeah."

"You're angry."

"No, I'm not...well, okay, I am. But I don't understand why."

"Maybe because it reminds us of our own mortality."

"I just don't want to believe it."

"Have you ever heard Data define friendship?"

"No."

"As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The inputs eventually are anticipated and even missed when absent."

As Deanna spoke, she watched the expression on Will's face change from moroseness to merriment. Data's fanciful way of stating simple truths never failed to amuse them both.

The subject they had been discussing had been the discovery of Data's severed head amongst some nineteenth century artifacts on Earth. From this, it was deduced that Data was destined to go back five hundred years in time and that he would die in the nineteenth century.

_What incredibly bad timing, _Deanna thought, _right when Tasha just found out she's pregnant._

* * *

Will and Deanna were part of an away team investigating a temporal disturbance in a Devidian cavern. Deanna found herself inside a natural amphitheater with columns supporting the roof.

"There's life here. A child. An old woman. Dozens more. Hundreds. Terrified."

"Terrified?" asked Will.

"My God, Will. They're human." Deanna was overcome with emotion. Will's arms were around her immediately.

It was decided that the humans might be trapped and that Data's assistance would be needed in freeing them, so he joined the away team in the cavern. He made visual contact with the lifeforms and described them to his fellow team members.

"They range from two to three meters in height. Silver gray in color. They have four limbs. No eyes or ears are noticeable. There is a single orifice where a human forehead would ordinarily be."

Data continued to describe the lifeforms and what they were doing when suddenly there was a flash and the forcefield generator Data had been holding fell to the ground. They heard Jean-Luc's voice.

"Commander Riker, report."

"We've lost him," Will said.

It was determined that the lifeforms Data had encountered may have been traveling back in time to nineteenth century Earth for some malevolent reason. Geordi would try to build a phase descriminator similar to the one built into Data's positronic decompiler.

Later, the away team returned to the Devidian cavern, where Geordi attempted to use a modified tricorder to establish contact with the lifeforms. Soon images of the creatures began to appear. They seemed to be putting strands into what looked like a feeding station of some sort.

"These strands appear to be biomagnetic. Variable flux. Possibly organic in origin," said Beverly.

"A life form," said Jean-Luc.

"No. There is no life here. What I have sensed is more like an imprint. An echo of the last moments of life. Human life. They all died in terror," Deanna said.

"My God. They're delivering more of them for the others to ingest," said Will.

"Look at what he's carrying," said Deanna.

One of the figures held a cane, which immediately morphed into a snake. A bright light portal opened, and the figure went through it, followed by Jean-Luc and the others.

The portal turned out to open onto San Franscisco in the nineteenth century. Disguised as professionals of the time, Will and Beverly entered the morgue to examine the bodies of what appeared to be cholera victims.

With her tricorder, Beverly determined that the victims had in fact not died of cholera. Instead, all their neural energy had been drained. Will and Beverly concluded that the beings from the tavern had been using the cane to steal neural energy from victims and feeding on it themselves.

After fleeing the morgue, Will and Beverly met up with Data, who was riding down the street in a carriage. The group went to a rented motel room to discuss how best to stop the aliens from murdering any more people. Then they returned to the cavern, where they once again encountered the aliens. There was a struggle over the cane, and in the process, Data's head came off. His headless body, still clutching the cane, was left on the floor of the cavern as the time portal opened and the others returned to the twenty-fourth century. Jean-Luc, tending a severely injured nineteenth century Guinan, was also left behind.

The crew members were accompanied by Samuel Clemens, a nineteenth century author who had gotten to know Data and became concerned that the time travelers would complicate things by interfering excessively with the way history was to play out. He was curious to see the world of the twenty-fourth century and to find out whether he and his books had made any lasting impressions.

At Will's request, Deanna gave Mr. Clemens a tour of the starship, the two of them discussing what the progress of the past five hundred years meant for humanity and other species. In the meantime, Geordi attempted to reattach Data's severed head but was initially unsuccessful. He opened the back of Data's head and found an iron filling. At the same time, Jean-Luc, in the cavern, manipulated the circuits in the version of Data's head that had been left there, and Data finally returned to life.

Right away, Tasha, who had been watching anxiously, rushed into his arms.

"Data!" she cried with joy.

Data held her for a few minutes, patting her back awkwardly. He knew how happy she was to see him again, and he didn't want to do anything to spoil that happiness, but he also knew that Will and Geordi needed his assistance on the bridge.

"Tasha," he said gently.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes full of love.

"My presence is needed on the bridge right now. Will and Geordi need my assistance with a crisis situation. As soon as it is resolved, I promise that you will have my undivided attention for as long as you wish."

With tears in her eyes, Tasha reluctantly released her hold on the android.

Data joined Will and Geordi on the bridge, and the three of them found a way to destroy the habitat of the murderous aliens. Mr. Clemens agreed to return to the nineteenth century so that Jean-Luc could rejoin the _Enterprise _crew.

Kestra, of course, wanted to know all about what life was like in nineteenth century San Francisco. She and Deanna talked late into the night, and it was almost midnight when Deanna finally entered her own quarters, moving as quietly as possible so as not to awaken Will and Ian.


	33. Kestra: Second Childhood

"Barin!" Ian cried excitedly as soon as his grandmother and eighteen-month-old uncle, along with Timicin, beamed aboard the _Enterprise. _He ran to the little boy and gave him a big hug. Barin just stared, his eyes wide with wonder at all his family members who had come to meet him.

"He's been so excited," Deanna told her mother. "The only thing he's talked about for days is seeing Barin again."

"He's so sweet." Lwaxana laughed indulgently. "Careful, Ian. He's a little bit shy." She looked at Donovan and Deirdre. "And you two are almost all grown up now!'

"Captain Picard might make me an honorary ensign like Wesley in a couple of years," Donovan said proudly. "I can't wait until I'm old enough to go to Starfleet Academy."

"That time will be here before you know it," Lwaxana told him.

Lwaxana, Timicin, and Barin were visiting for Ian's fourth birthday party, which was to take place in a few days.

Lwaxana joined Kestra, Deanna, and Tasha for lunch in Ten Forward the next day.

"How far along in your pregnancy are you now?" Lwaxana asked Tasha.

"About three months. I had morning sickness really bad for a few weeks, but it seems to be easing off now."

"My pregnancies were always that way at first, and then later on, I would get so hungry I'd eat everything in sight," Lwaxana told her.

"Data has become obsessed about my weight gain. He keeps track of it to the hundredths of the pounds."

"It's so good that you have a concerned partner. Jeyal showed no interest whatsoever in my pregnancy with Barin until he found out that I was carrying a son, and then he became a total control freak over it."

"Data's a real doll."

"A very life-like one," Kestra commented, and they all laughed heartily.

"I'm really looking forward to the expedition to Marlonia," Tasha continued. "I've been such a worrywart lately that I really need something to take my mind off of everything."

"So am I! I really love plants," Kestra chimed in.

Tasha and Kestra were both planning to join Jean-Luc, Ro Laren, Keiko O'Brien, and Guinan on a botanical expedition to the planet Marlonia the following day. Keiko hoped to obtain some samples of a plant she wanted to study, and the others were going along just for fun.

* * *

"There's a forty percent drop in mass. I may have lost one of them," Miles O'Brien said, as the members of the expedition to Marlonia rematerialized on the transporter pad. Kestra looked around and was astonished and a bit frightened to see that her fellow crew mates had seemingly been transformed into children of about twelve years. Kestra looked at herself and noticed that she had also been transformed into a pre-adolescent.

The group looked at each other quizzically, and the young girl who had previously been Tasha felt her completely-flat belly with a look of extreme worry on her face.

"My baby..." she whispered, turning slightly pale. Kestra put a comforting hand on her arm.

"It'll be all right, Tasha," she said. "Beverly will find a way to get us back to normal."

"But what about my baby?" Tasha asked.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Kestra assured her, although she didn't feel nearly as sure of that as she was trying to appear to Tasha.

"According to the bioscans, their DNA structure is consistent with pre-adolescence," Beverly said, after examining the group. "But as far as we can tell, only their bodies have changed. Their intelligence and their behavioral responses are the same as they were before the accident. Tasha is also still pregnant, although the embryo has returned to an earlier stage in its development."

Tasha was visibly relieved.

"But will it ever grow to be the size it's supposed to be, or will it just stay the size it is now? Does this mean that all my morning sickness is going to come back again? If it does grow, how am I supposed to give birth with a twelve-year-old body?"

Tasha was near tears again. Kestra embraced her. "I can't answer all your questions, Tasha. I wish that I could, but I can't. We'll just have to trust that Beverly will be able to help us."

Although she didn't voice them, Kestra had fears of her own about how life would be for her from now on. Would Kevin still find her sexually desirable in a twelve-year-old body? Would Donovan and Deirdre still respect her as their mother? Her heart was filled with trepidation as she returned to her quarters.

Kevin, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up as she entered.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she answered hesitantly.

He stood and came to give her a hug. The top of her head barely came to his chest now. He held her tightly and stroked her hair.

"Do you feel all right? Can I get you anything?" he asked anxiously.

"I feel fine." She shrugged. "Except for being shorter, I feel pretty much the same as I always do."

Preparing dinner was more difficult than usual as she could no longer reach the higher shelves in the kitchen.

"Never mind. I'll just do dinner myself tonight," Kevin told her after several requests for his help.

Donovan and Deirdre both now towered over their mother. Donovan looked at Kestra with a mixture of wonder and pity in his eyes.

"Um...what are we supposed to call you now?" asked Deirdre.

"I see no reason at all why you should call me anything other than 'Mom'," Kestra replied.

"But it just seems strange to call you 'Mom' now," Donovan objected.

"Nevertheless,as that's what I am to you still, I would appreciate it if you would continue to acknowledge that fact," Kestra said pointedly.

That night Kestra had to borrow one of Deirdre's nightgowns to sleep in. She inched closer and closer to Kevin's body until she was right up against him, and then she let her hand slowly wonder downwards until it was lightly touching his groin. Kevin gently picked her hand up and laid it to the side.

"I'm sorry, Kestra," he said. "I just...can't. Not now. It just doesn't seem right."

Deeply hurt, Kestra began to sob quietly. Kevin's arms were around her right away, pulling her to himself.

"I love you, Kestra," he said.

"I...love you too," she sobbed.

"It's going to be all right. We'll get through this somehow. I don't know how exactly, but we will."

As he held her and spoke tenderly to her, Kestra felt as if she were once again a little girl being comforted by her father.

* * *

Dr. Crusher discovered that a transporting accident had eliminated the RVN sequences from the affected crew members' genetic make-up, which had caused them to be transformed back into children. She determined that by sending all six crew members back through the transporter, she might could replace the missing RVN sequences, thus transforming them back into adults. Hopefully, Tasha's unborn baby would be returned to its proper stage of development as well.

Kestra watched as Jean-Luc went through the transporter first and was immediately relieved to see him returned to his normal self. Keiko was next, then Guinan, who went to fetch Laren afterwards. Then Kestra herself went through. By the huge grin on Kevin's face afterwards, she knew that the transformation had been successful. Tasha went through next and was immediately examined by Beverly afterwards. Beverly determined that Tasha's unborn baby had been returned to its proper developmental age.

Ian's fourth birthday party was that evening. Deanna had decided upon an Old West theme, and Ian, Barin and the other children all wore cowboy hats as Deanna led them in a song her father had taught her as a child.

"Whoopie Ti-Yi-Yo get along little dogies, it's your misfortune and none of my own..."

Kevin and Kestra sat smiling with their arms around one another, thinking about how wonderful it was for things to be back the way they were supposed to be.


	34. Deanna: Stage Fright

"I'm so glad you were able to stay for the play," Deanna told Lwaxana. "It should be good. Will's been practicing hard. He's been very dedicated."

"I can't wait to see him perform," Lwaxana replied. The play they were discussing had been written by Beverly, and Will was to portray an insane man in an asylum who was being tortured by the doctors there. Lwaxana and Deanna were currently in the audience waiting for the play to start.

"What I need is to get out of this cell. I've been here for days. You've controlled my every move. Told me what to eat, drink, and say. Whenever I show a glimmer of independent thought, you strap me down, inject me with drugs. You call it a treatment!" Will played his role very convincingly, and everyone applauded for him when he finished.

Four days later, Will left for a covert mission on the planet Tolonus IV. While he was gone, Jeyal's sister Majel arrived on the _Enterprise _for a visit. Deanna hadn't seen her since the wedding ceremony of Jeyal and Lwaxana on Betazed several years previously.

"I went to Betazed first, but they told me you were visiting the _Enterprise," _Majel explained. "Jeyal has been wondering how his son has been faring, and to be honest, I'd like to see Barin myself. I've never seen a little boy before."

"Why, of course you can see him," Lwaxana told her. "He's in Ian's bedroom playing with him."

She led Majel to the bedroom, and they looked in on the boys. Ian was showing Barin how to put puzzle pieces into a wooden frame.

"See, the cow goes here, and the pig goes here," Ian patiently explained. Barin grabbed a puzzle piece and tried to force it into a shape. "No, no, Barin. That's where the duck goes. The sheep goes over here. See?" Ian tried to take the puzzle piece from Barin, who protested.

"You've got some company, boys," Lwaxana told them.

"Hello," Ian said to Majel. Barin just stared. Lwaxana picked Barin up and held him.

"Hello, Barin," said Majel. Barin hid his head in the front of his mother's dress.

"Say hello to the nice lady, Barin," Lwaxana urged. Majel caressed Barin's head, and he turned to look at her but didn't say anything.

"You are such an adorable boy! May I please hold you?" Majel extended her arms to Barin, who still looked hesitant.

"Go ahead, sweetie," Lwaxana urged. Barin continued to look at Majel and held his arms out to her. She picked him up and held him tightly, then kissed the top of his head.

"You are so precious," she told him. He smiled a toothy smile at her.

"Thank you so much for sharing your son with me," Majel told Lwaxana after she had visited with Barin for a little while.

"It's no problem at all," Lwaxana told her. "After all, he _is _your nephew."

"You're a very handsome boy as well," Majel told Ian. "How old are you?"

"Four," Ian said proudly.

"You're the first four-year-old boy I've ever met," Majel told him.

Ian's eyes grew round with surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. You see, on the planet I come from, little boys and men live separately from little girls and women, so they never see each other."

"That's crazy!" Ian said. He looked perturbed.

"Nevertheless, it's our culture," Majel told him.

"A lady came to visit Barin today," Ian told Deanna as she was getting him ready for bed that night. "She said that on her planet, boys and girls live in separate places and never see each other."

"That's right," Deanna said sadly.

"But why is it that way, Mommy?"

"I don't know, Ian. I guess they're afraid that little boys would act too much like little girls and little girls would act too much like little boys if they let them live together."

When Will returned from his mission on Tolonus IV, he was sent to sickbay immediately. Deanna waited anxiously in the waiting area until he finally came out and joined her.

"Will! Are you all right?" she cried.

"I'm fine now, Imzadi," he said with a smile. "While I was on Tolonus IV, the aliens captured me and scanned my brain for strategic information about the Federation. Boy, did I go through some wierd stuff! First of all, I thought that I was performing the play when I suddenly found myself in a cell with an alien doctor. Later I was in a cafeteria with an alien woman who was speaking into a spoon, pretending it was a communication device. Then I was back on the _Enterprise _briefly, then back in the asylum again. They were talking about doing some kind of treatment on me using holographic projections, and I agreed to it, hoping that I might gain my freedom by doing that. Then I found myself back on the _Enterprise, _holding a phaser. Sure that it was another illusion, I pointed it at myself and pulled the trigger. Then I found myself back in the asylum, and an alien was telling me that the phaser was really a knife from the kitchen and trying to take it away from me. I woke up on an operating table to find that I was about to undergo brain surgery. I escaped and had myself beamed back aboard the _Enterprise. _Boy, am I glad to be home!"

"Oh my gosh! Well, all's well that ends well, I suppose," Deanna said, giving him a reassuring hug.


	35. Kestra: Tasha's Baby

"I just can't wait until this is all over with," Tasha moaned. "I'm as big as an elephant!"

Kestra and Deanna both laughed. "We've been there too," Kestra assured her. "Just be patient. It'll all be over with very soon."

"Not soon enough for me," Tasha mumbled.

Just then, Reg Barclay walked by on his way to the drink machine.

"Hi, Reg," Deanna greeted him.

"Hi!" Reg walked over, his eyes fixed on Tasha's abdomen. "Wow, looks like you're almost there," he commented.

"I'd better be, because if I get any bigger, I think I'm going to explode," Tasha told him. "The baby's kicking right now. Want to feel it?" She took Reg's hand and placed it on her swollen belly. A moment later all four of them saw Tasha's clothing ripple.

"Wow!" Reg said. "Your little one is strong!"

"Don't I know it." Tasha rolled her eyes, and the other two women laughed again.

Later that day, the _Enterprise _received an unexpected visitor. Kestra saw to her surprise that it was Soren. Kestra had met her on her previous visit but hadn't gotten to know her as well as Will and Deanna had.

"I've escaped from J'naii," Soren told Kestra. "I decided that I just can't live as an androgynous person anymore. I know that I'm really a woman on the inside, and that isn't going to change. There's no use in trying to hide it anymore."

"But what if they catch you?"

"I faked my own death. I put a mannequin with my identification papers in a shuttlecraft with a timed explosive and sent it up. It blew into pieces and while everyone was distracted, I slipped away in a different shuttlecraft. I guess they'll eventually realize that it was a mannequin in the shuttlecraft that blew up, but I'm hoping that by that time I'll be so far away that they'll never find me."

"Well, I sure hope that your ruse was successful," Kestra told her. "You're welcome to stay in our quarters for awhile."

"I don't want to be any bother. I'll sleep on the sofa," Soren offered.

"Nonsense. Deirdre has twin beds in her room for when a friend sleeps over."

Later, Reg and Data were playing chess in Ten Forward when Data was called away unexpectedly before the game was finished.

"I'll take his place," Soren offered. Reg looked grateful.

"You play very well," he complemented her when the game was over. "You almost beat me."

Soren smiled. "Thank you. Next time, I will."

"We'll see about that." Reg grinned. "So, how do you like life aboard the _Enterprise _so far?"

"Everyone is so kind, and most importantly of all, they accept me the way I am," Soren replied.

"I'm really glad you got away from J'naii," Reg told her. "I don't think I could ever see you as an androgynous person. To me you're as much a woman as any woman, and a very lovely one at that."

"Why, thank you." Soren blushed.

"Would you like to go for a walk on the holodeck with me? I have a lovely program that simulates a moonlit walk on the beach."

"That sounds like fun!" Soren exclaimed.

The next day, Soren joined Kestra, Deanna, and Tasha for lunch. She glanced curiously at Tasha's swollen belly but was too polite to say anything about it.

"The reason my belly is so large is that there's a baby in it," Tasha explained. Soren's eyes went wide with shock.

"This is the way humans give birth," Tasha continued. "The male plants a reproductive cell inside the woman's body. His cell combines with the woman's reproductive cell to form a zygote, which is nearly microscopic in size. In a special organ in the woman's body called the womb, the zygote grows in size to become first an embryo, then a fetus. When the baby is developed enough to live outside the woman's body, her body expels it. The whole process takes about nine months. I've been pregnant for about that long now, so my baby is due to be born any day now."

"And how does the baby get out?"

"There's a special opening between my legs that I will push the baby out through."

"And how will you know when it's time for the baby to come out?"

"I'll start having contractions. Those are muscle tightenings in my womb that let me know that it's getting ready to push the baby out."

"Can I watch?"

Tasha laughed. "Giving birth is usually a very private matter. But I promise you, you'll get to see the baby just as soon as it's born."

Just then, Tasha's clothing rippled again. "Would you like to feel the baby move?" she asked Soren. She placed Soren's hand on her belly. Soren's face lit up in wonder as she felt Tasha's baby's movements.

Later that evening, Data came to Kestra's quarters. "Tasha's in labor," he told her. Kestra, who had promised to be present for the delivery, immediately accompanied Data and Tasha to sickbay.

Beverly examined Tasha and said that the baby wouldn't be born for a few more hours. She put an IV in Tasha's arm and hooked her up to a fetal monitor. Tasha lay on her side on a biobed, napping between contractions and doing breathing exercises during them.

"I'll bet you'd be pacing back and forth right now if you had emotions," Kestra told Data.

"In certain situations it does seem advantageous not to have emotions," Data replied.

"Oh, when is this _ever _gonna be finally over with? It's been going on forever," Tasha moaned during a particularly painful contraction.

"Is there anything you require?" Data asked her.

"Please, just hold my hand," Tasha panted. Data did. Since he had superior strength combined with an inability to feel physical pain, Tasha could squeeze his hand as tightly as she wanted without fear of hurting him.

Several hours later, Beverly told Tasha that it was time for her to start pushing the baby out.

Tasha was disappointed when the baby didn't emerge with the first few pushes.

"I can't go on," she complained.

"Oh, yes, you can. You're doing just fine," Beverly told her.

Tasha gave one more mighty push.

"Wow, Tasha, the baby's head is out!" Kestra exclaimed.

"Intriguing," Data commented.

With another push, the entire baby slid out.

"It's a girl!" Beverly exclaimed. Data cut the baby's umbilical cord, and Beverly cleaned her up and handed her to Tasha.

"Her name is Zoe Grace Yar," Tasha announced. "Data and I chose the name 'Zoe' because it means 'life'."

Zoe was a beautiful baby, with dark hair and dark blue eyes. After Tasha held her, Data held her for awhile, and then it was Tasha's turn.

The next morning, Reg and Soren came to visit. Reg's face glowed with pride as he held baby Zoe.

"She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen," he declared.

"We couldn't have done it without you," Tasha said gratefully.

"What do you mean?" asked Soren.

"Since Data's an android, he isn't capable of producing reproductive cells," Tasha explained. "Reg provided the reproductive cell that helped conceive Zoe."

"How'd you do that?" Soren asked Reg.

Reg grinned and blushed deeply. "I'll explain it all later, in private," he told her.

"That's so amazing, Reg, that you played a part in the creation of this beautiful little girl," Soren said.

"I know. I'm prouder of that than I am of anything else I've ever done."

"I've often wondered what it would be like to be a parent," said Soren.

"Data is Zoe's legal father, but he and Tasha promised me that I could remain an active part of her life."

For just a moment, there was a faraway look in Soren's eyes, and then she seemed to snap back to reality.

"What am I even thinking about? Of course my main priority right now should be getting settled into my new life and figuring out where to go from here."

"There'll be plenty of time for other priorities later," Reg assured her. "In the meantime, I'm more than willing to help you in any way I can."


	36. Deanna: One Imzadi Too Many

Baby Zoe Grace quickly became the darling of the _Enterprise _crew. Data acted just as any other proud new father would, showing his new daughter off and bragging constantly about each new accomplishment she achieved. Tasha remained mostly in their quarters for the first few weeks after giving birth, where she received many visitors.

Soren soon settled into her new quarters, and quickly adjusted to life aboard the _Enterprise. _She and Reg were frequently seen together, and the rest of the crew came to view them as a new couple. It was Soren's first romantic involvement that she didn't have to keep hidden, and Reg, being very shy and awkward, hadn't had much experience with romance either.

"I think they're good for each other," Kestra remarked. "They're both relatively new to the world of romance, so they're learning together."

One day Deanna was walking past some vacant quarters when she heard Will call to her. "Imzadi!"

She turned to him, and he planted a passionate kiss on her lips. She was very glad to see him, as he had just recently led an away team to a planet called Nervala IV to retrieve some important scientific data that had been lost when a previous research team had been forced to abandon their post on the planet. The planet's atmosphere made transporting to and from the planet tricky at best, and Deanna had been very worried about his safety.

Will picked Deanna up and carried her into the vacant quarters, into the bedroom, and to the bed, where he began to shower her with kisses. Deanna, taken aback but delighted by his ardor, returned his advances with equal fervor, and they were soon making passionate love. Afterwards, Deanna took a short nap. Will was gone when she awoke. She tidied the empty bed and returned to the corridor, and was headed in the direction of her office when she saw Will walking in the opposite direction. His face lit up when he saw her.

"Deanna!" he cried joyfully, reaching to embrace her. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

* * *

"Genetically, he and I are indistiguishable," Will explained to Deanna. "And except for minor differences, our brain organization patterns are identical."

"But how did he come into existence?" Deanna asked.

"He materialized as the result of a transporter beam accident. When I was on Nervala IV eight years ago as part of a rescue mission, I was the last one to be beamed back aboard the _Potemkin. _The transporter officer tried to beam me up by splitting the transport beam, and part of it was reflected back to the planet, causing an exact replica of me to be materialized."

"So he's been all alone on Nervala IV for the past eight years, and no one ever had any idea that he was there?"

"That's correct."

"Oh, the poor, poor man...he must have just about died from loneliness..."

"Yes. Well." Will cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the thought himself. "He's going to be with us for awhile. Might as well get used to it." Will smiled and held his arms out to his wife. "I missed you so much, Imzadi."

They began to hug and kiss, and Deanna felt the familiar hunger for her husband that she always felt after being apart from him. Soon they had shed their clothing and were on the bed and making passionate love. Afterwards, Will slept while Deanna was kept awake by tormenting thoughts.

_After all, it's not_ really_ as if I cheated on Will, s_he told herself. _When I made love with him, I really and truly thought that he _was _Will. On the other hand, Will would feel so terribly hurt if he ever found out what I did. _

She thought of how upset she had become the time Will and Ro Laren had almost made love. How ironic that she herself was now guilty of the same thing Will had almost done. _I don't deserve him, _she thought with remorse.

* * *

Deanna was ordering valerian root tea when she noticed that there was a note in the fruit bowl. "Meet me in Transporter room three at nineteen hundred hours. It's important," the note said. In the transporter room was another note, which was tied with a pink flower and a bow. "It pulses unendingly all through the night. Seek out the crystal that powers our flight," said the second note. At the dilithium crystal chamber in main engineering, she found a third note. "What the future holds, no one can know. But forward we look and forward we go." In Ten Forward, she found a table with a vase and a gift-wrapped box, which she opened to find an etching.

"The Janara Falls," said Will's voice.

"It's lovely. Thank you," said Deanna.

"You don't know how many times I thought about you. About us," he continued. "For weeks after the evacuation, I kept thinking they'd find a way through the distortion field and come back for me. I even thought we'd meet on Risa like we'd planned. But days went by and nobody came. Then I realized why. They thought that I'd been killed in the beam out. Sometimes I'd look up into the sky and I'd think, if I tried hard enough, I could make you feel my presence. That if I could let you know that I was alive, maybe you'd wait for me."

"Will and I never did meet up on Risa," Deanna said. "He earned a promotion very quickly and chose to make his career a priority. We didn't see each other again until we were both posted to the _Enterprise _two years later. By that time I was engaged to another man, but it didn't work out. Soon afterwards, Will and I rekindled our romance and married. We have a four-year-old son named Ian. You see, the first time I saw you on board the _Enterprise, _I thought that you were him. I'm so very sorry."

"It's not fair." The man's face twisted with anguish as he put his head down on the table and sobbed. Deanna's heart was broken for him, but she couldn't think of a single thing to do.

* * *

The next away team sent to Nervala IV were successful in retrieving the data that had been lost eight years before. As the new Will found it too painful to remain aboard the _Enterprise _with Will and Deanna both there, Jean-Luc found him a posting on the _U.S.S. Gandhi. _Before he left, Will and Deanna visited his quarters to tell him good-bye.

"As I suppose that a lot of what I have should really belong to both of us, I thought that the least I could do is give you this," Will said, handing his trombone to the other man.

"Thanks," said the other Will.

"Good luck, Will," said Will.

"I thought I might actually go with our middle name," said the second Will.

"I guess we really are different, as I never really cared for that name," Will replied.

"Well, I sort of like it. I guess I'd better get going. May I kiss you good-bye, Deanna?"

"Yes, of course," Deanna told him.

He placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Take good care of her, Will."

Will linked arms with Deanna, and they returned to their own quarters.


	37. Kestra: Donovan's Entrance Exam

"No matter what the outcome is, we'll all still be very proud of you," Kestra told her son, Donovan. Donovan was going to Relva VII to take the Starfleet entrance examination for the first time. He knew that the exam would be very grueling and had studied very hard for it. He felt especially anxious about the psychological portion that he knew would be included in the exam.

"Good luck, son. I wish you the best," Kevin said, patting Donovan's shoulder.

"Thank you." Donovan quickly hugged both his parents, then entered the transporter room and beamed aboard Relva VII.

In the classroom on Relva VII, he saw a human female, a Vulcan female, and a male Benzite.

"You must be Donovan." The human girl smiled and extended her hand. She was very pretty, with wavy long dark brown hair. "I'm Oliana Mirren."

"It's very nice to meet you," Donovan said.

"I'm Mordock," said the Benzite.

Donovan gasped. "The discoverer of the Mordock Strategy!"

"One and the same." Mordock smiled modestly.

Donovan knew that his chances of obtaining a higher score than that of the highly intelligent Benzite were slim indeed, but he smiled bravely.

"I'm T'Shanik," said the Vulcan girl. Donovan thought that she was very pretty as well, although she seemed quite shy.

The four contenders sat down at individual computer stations as a human male entered the room.

"Welcome. I'm Officer Chang," he said. "You are here because you are all top candidates. Although only one of you will be chosen for the Academy, preliminary testing has shown that any of you could easily qualify. We're looking for a candidate who possesses all the characteristics necessary to be a part of Starfleet's future: integrity, intelligence, courage, imagination, and that indefinable quality of leadership. This may be one of the most difficult and exhausting challenges of your lives, yet the most exciting. Expect the unexpected, and may you all do your best."

The first question was a trick question about the ratio of matter to antimatter. Donovan and Mordock both figured it out fairly quickly, but Oliana was totally stumped.

"You're lucky it comes so easily for you," she complained to Donovan and Mordock.

"It doesn't come easily to me at all," Donovan objected. "I have to study all the time."

"It's a lucky thing you're so cute, Donovan, or you could really be annoying," teased Oriana.

"She said I was cute!" Donovan whispered to Mordock as soon as Oliana was out of earshot.

Later, Donovan and Mordock were walking down a hallway when Donovan accidentally bumped into a large, muscular man.

"Excuse me," said Donovan.

"Watch where you're going!" the man growled.

"I'm very sorry. It wasn't intentional," Donovan told him.

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner, you slime!" The man raised a fist and advanced menacingly toward Donovan.

"Hey, stop bullying me! _You _were the one who bumped into _me, _not the other way around!" Donovan shouted.

Suddenly, the man relaxed and smiled. "I think I like you, kid," he said.

Mordock looked at Donovan quizzically.

"I saw the webbing between his fingers and realized that he was a Zaldan," Donovan explained. "They are highly offended by courteous behavior, as they believe it to be phony."

"So what just occurred was actually part of the test?" Mordock asked Officer Chang, who had just appeared.

"Correct," Officer Chang said. "As you know, how you deal with social situations is part of your examination regimen as well as the intellectual tests."

"I never would have passed," Mordock admitted.

The next section of the test involved the prediction of patterns of shapes and colors appearing on the computer. The candidates were to be tested on how many patterns they could predict within the allotted time period. Donovan proceeded with ease, but Mordock began to panic.

"You're doing fine, Mordock. Just relax and let it come to you naturally," Donovan encouraged him, losing a few seconds of his own allotted time to do so.

An hour later, Donovan sat nervously outside the testing room, waiting for Mordock to emerge from his psychological test. The door finally slid open and Mordock appeared, looking very shaken.

"Are you all right, Mordock?" asked Donovan.

"I will be," Mordock told him.

"You're next, Mr. Troi-O'Reilly. Good luck," Officer Chang said, motioning Donovan into the room.

Donovan entered the room and looked around curiously. It was just an ordinary looking room with white walls and two or three chairs.

"Hello?" Donovan called. There was no response.

"Anyone there?" Donovan called again. Still no response. He began to pace nervously.

He soon became aware of what sounded like muffled cries for help. Curious, he approached the door of the room, opened it, and stepped out into the corridor. The cries for help sounded slightly louder now, and Donovan could also hear splashing noises.

Suddenly a dog appeared at Donovan's feet.

"Where did _you _come from, boy?" Donovan asked softly.

The dog began to trot down the hallway, beckoning Donovan to follow. By now quite alarmed, Donovan followed the dog. The cries and splashing noises became louder and clearer.

The dog led Donovan into a room in which there was a swimming pool. Donovan saw that a young girl no older than seven or eight years old struggled to keep her head above the water at the deep end of the pool. The raft that she had obviously slipped from floated nearby, just beyond her reach.

Within a split second Donovan had slipped his shoes off and dived into the pool and was swimming toward the child as quickly as he could. He quickly reached the little girl, and she grabbed him around the neck in a panic, almost pulling his head below the water. Donovan grasped the child around the waist and kicked to push them both back to the surface.

"It's all right. I've got you," he told the little girl. Within a few seconds he had swam the length of the pool and was helping the child out. He climbed out right after her and walked with her to the door, which immediately opened to reveal Officer Chang.

"Excellent performance, Mr. Troi-O'Reilly," said Officer Chang.

"You mean that was the test?" Donovan was incredulous.

"Yes."

"But she could have drowned!"

"Theoretically, yes. Your greatest fear was that if you had been there, you wouldn't have been able to save her."

Suddenly Donovan understood. "Because of what almost happened to my mother when she was a little girl..."

Officer Chang smiled and patted Donovan on the shoulder.

Later, the four students sat together in the classroom awaiting Officer Chang's decision.

"I'm proud of all of you. You've done a superb job. It's really unfair that only one of you will attend the Academy this year," Chang began. "Mr. Mordock will be the candidate. His scores were slightly higher than those of Mr. Troi-O'Reilly. Congratulations, Mr. Mordock. You will be the first Benzite to attend Starfleet."

"Thank you, sir, but that's not right," Mordock said. "Donovan lost points because he helped me. He shouldn't be punished for his generosity."

"He wasn't. He lost time, but that wasn't the only consideration. Candidates, thank you and good luck."

"I'm sorry, Donovan," said Mordock.

"It's all right. You deserved to win," Donovan told him.

"Congratulations." T'Shanik shook Mordock's hand. Oliana and Donovan followed suit.

"Well, personally, I hate losing, so you'd better be ready next year, because I won't be easy to beat," Oliana said to the other two.

"I do look forward to seeing you again," Donovan told her with a smile. She smiled back, and he felt his heart flutter.

Kevin and Kestra saw the despondent look on their son's face as he was beamed back aboard the _Enterprise _and knew what had happened.

"I failed," Donovan told them miserably. "I didn't get into the Academy. A Benzite named Mordock did."

"Did you do your best?" Kevin asked his son.

Donovan nodded.

"So do you think you'll do better next year?"

Donovan nodded again.

"Good. The only person you're really competing against is yourself."

"Then you're not disappointed?" Donovan was relieved.

"Your failures and successes have to be measured within, Donovan. If it makes you feel better, I failed my first time too, but that's to remain just between you and me."

"You _failed?" _Donovan was amazed. He found it very difficult to imagine his father ever failing at _anything._

"Yes, but not the second time." Kevin smiled and put his arm around his son's shoulders. Kestra smiled and embraced Donovan as well. Donovan grinned, cheered at the thought of the chance to see Oliana again.


	38. Deanna: Moral Dilemma

Deanna felt very sad every time she looked at the etching of the Janara Falls Thomas Riker had given her. Not wanting to hurt Will, she had chosen to display it inconspicuously above her desk in her office rather than in a prominent place in their living quarters. She knew the pain the man had felt when she had told him that she and Will were now married and wondered whether the passage of time had caused it to diminish for him at all. She wondered how he was faring in his new post aboard the _U.S.S. Gandhi _and sincerely hoped that he would soon find someone to replace her in his heart.

Within a few weeks of Thomas' visit to the _Enterprise, _Deanna began to experience the symptoms of pregnancy. She visited Beverly, who confirmed her suspicions.

"Congratulations," Beverly said with a smile. "You and Will can expect your new little addition to arrive in about mid February of next year."

"Oh, no..." Deanna felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Beverly asked.

"Oh, Beverly." Deanna began to sob, and Beverly held her friend and let Deanna cry on her shoulder.

"Remember when Thomas Riker was on the ship?" Deanna asked when she could speak again.

Beverly nodded.

"Well, the first time I saw him, I thought that he was Will," Deanna said. "We...we..."

"You made love to him," Beverly surmised.

Deanna nodded miserably. "And right after that I made love with the real Will, so now I have no way of knowing which one of them made me pregnant."

"Oh, dear." Beverly sighed. "And as Will and Thomas are genetically identical, it would be impossible to determine which one of them technically impregnated you."

"So what shall I tell Will?" Deanna moaned.

"It may not be necessary to tell him anything at all," Beverly ventured. "As half this child's genetic material will be identical to his, it will technically be his child every bit as much as yours, regardless of which act of love resulted in its conception."

"But shouldn't I tell Thomas as well?"

"What would be the purpose in doing that?" asked Beverly.

"Well, it just seems to me that he has the right to know, if there's a chance that he's the baby's real father..."

"As I just explained to you, Will _is_ the baby's 'real' father," Beverly said. "What would telling Thomas accomplish other than bringing him additional pain?"

"You're right," Deanna conceded, sighing heavily. "It just doesn't seem fair to deprive him of a relationship with his possible child..."

"Thomas won't be deprived of anything except an additional source of emotional anguish," Beverly said. "If you like, you and Will may tell Thomas that he's going to be an uncle and ask if he'd like to visit his new niece or nephew after it's born."

Emotionally torn, Deanna briefly wondered whether it would be wisest simply to terminate the pregnancy and was immediately overwhelmed with guilt for entertaining that notion for even a second. She already loved her unborn child immensely and couldn't bear the thought of ending its existence as a way of solving a moral dilemma.

In Ten Forward Deanna saw Data and Tasha sitting at a table with baby Zoe. Zoe was four months old now, a chubby, happy baby with soft, fine brown hair, big blue eyes, and a captivating smile.

"May I please hold her?" Deanna asked Tasha.

"Of course!" Tasha said with a smile.

"Aren't you adorable!" Deanna exclaimed, lifting the baby into her arms and holding her securely. Zoe cooed and gurgled, grabbing handfuls of Deanna's hair. _Will would absolutely adore a baby girl. _The thought hit her in the stomach with the force of a blow.

"I think she likes you," Tasha said in a singsong voice.

"Her present disposition would seem to indicate that that observation is correct," Data said, causing both women to laugh.

"I was just wondering, what do you plan to tell her about her father when she's old enough to understand?" Deanna wanted to know.

Data and Tasha exchanged a quick glance. "We've discussed that and mutually decided that we will simply tell her that since Data is an android, we needed extra help to conceive a baby, and we had a friend named Reg who was kind enough to help us," Tasha said. "If she asks for more specifics, we'll provide them in an age appropriate manner."

Deanna wondered what to tell her own child once he or she got old enough to ask questions. _You're genetically Will's but I don't know whether or not he actually had anything to do with your conception? _When she thought about it, that explanation sounded ludicrous to her. Perhaps Beverly was right and it didn't really matter, after all.

Deanna glanced over at Reg and Soren laughing happily together and wondered whether or not it ever bothered Soren that Reg was the biological father of another woman's child. Perhaps Soren in her otherworldly innocence was immune to the jealous tendencies that plagued the human species.

As the end of the day approached, Deanna was forced to confront the realization that she'd of course have to inform Will of the pregnancy as soon as possible. Thanks to their Imzadi connection, she'd be unable to hide her inner turmoil from him. What would she tell him, and how would he react?

Deanna was setting the table for dinner that evening when she heard Will enter and knew that the time to make the dreaded announcement was at hand.

"I'm pregnant, Will." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt as if a weight had just been lifted from her shoulders.

Will looked startled for just a moment, and then a big grin lit up his face. "Imzadi, that's wonderful!" He embraced her tightly, then looked more closely at her face. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"I need to have a serious discussion with you after Ian's in bed," she told him.

Will was deeply alarmed. "Is something wrong with the baby? With you?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," she quickly assured him. "It involves Thomas. That's all I can say for now."

_"Thomas?" _Will was obviously dumbfounded.

"You see, Will, the first time I saw Thomas on the _Enterprise, _I truly thought that he was you," Deanna explained later, after Ian was asleep. "He was very glad to see me and behaved very affectionately, and I returned his advances. We...we..."

"I see." Will's voice was almost a whisper.

In his blue eyes Deanna could see his pain, and her Betazoid empathy felt the edge of the sword she had just plunged into his heart.

"I never told you before because I thought that to do so would accomplish nothing and would only cause you needless pain. I had no idea that a pregnancy would result."

Will blinked, not saying a word.

"Beverly says that since you and Thomas are genetically identical, it's impossible to know for certain which one of you actually impregnated me."

Will sighed deeply. "I suppose it doesn't matter, then."

"But of _course _it does!"

"Deanna, I won't lie and tell you that what happened doesn't hurt me, because it does, very deeply. But it isn't your fault, Imzadi. You had absolutely no way of knowing that I had a genetic double until you were informed of that fact."

"But what shall we do?"

"We'll have this child and love it just as we love Ian, of course. What other choice do we have?"

"But what about Thomas?"

"What about him?"

"Shouldn't he at least be told that there's a possibility that the child is really his?"

Will angrily slammed his fist against the wall. "I married you, Deanna, for better or for worse. Regardless of the circumstances of this child's conception, he or she will be born to us and raised by us. We will both be its 'real' parents."

Deanna burst into tears. Will held her and rocked her as if she were a child. "It's all right, Imzadi. Everything's going to be all right."


	39. Kestra: Deidre's New Friend

Deirdre looked excitedly at Captain Picard as she stood beside him in the transporter room waiting to be beamed down to La Barre, France. The _Enterprise _crew had all been given a few days' leave time while the starship was undergoing repairs, and as Deirdre was doing a project for school on vineyards and wine-making, Captain Picard had generously offered to allow Deirdre to come along with him to visit his brother Robert and his family on their vineyard. It was a highly unusual gesture, as the Captain didn't ordinarily enjoy the company of children, except for his nephew Rene.

A moment later, Deirdre was standing with the Captain in a bright, sunny field with rows and rows of hanging vines on trellises on each side. Suddenly, a boy of about Deirdre's age appeared. He had brown hair and eyes and was just a little bit taller than Deidre.

"Is that my nephew, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the _Enterprise?" _asked the boy.

"You must be my Uncle Rene," the Captain laughed. "Rene, this is Deidre Troi-O'Reilly, the daughter of a couple of my crew members. She came along to learn about making wine for a school project."

"Well, you certainly came to the right place," Rene told Deirdre with a smile. "I know just about everything there is to know about making wine, and what I don't know, my dad can tell you. He's been making wine all his life, just like my grandfather before him."

The group went inside a small cottage to meet Rene's parents, Robert and Marie Picard. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," Deirdre said politely.

After a meal Deirdre went along with Robert and Rene to harvest grapes. Robert talked as he worked, and Deirdre struggled to absorb all the new information.

"There sure is a lot to learn about making wine," she observed.

"Once you get the hang of it, it's really easy," Rene told her. Soon Robert went to work in another section of the vineyard, leaving Rene and Deirdre to work alone.

"I suppose you're going to be a wine maker for the rest of your life," Deirdre commented.

"My dad wants me to be," Rene sighed. "But I want to go to Starfleet Academy and someday be the captain of my own starship just like Uncle Jean-Luc."

"Why did your father never go to Starfleet Academy himself?" asked Deirdre.

"Well, _somebody _had to take over the family business after my grandfather passed on," Rene explained. "I suppose Dad thought it was his duty. Are both your parents Starfleet officers?"

"Yes," Deirdre told him. "And so are my Uncle Will and Aunt Deanna. Uncle Will is Captain Picard's second-in-command, Aunt Dee's a counselor, my dad's an engineer, and my mom's a scientist, like my grandfather was. My brother Donovan hopes to get into Starfleet Academy soon as well."

"Wow, so for you it's really a family thing," Rene laughed. "Are you planning to go to Starfleet Academy as well?"

"I suppose I've just always assumed that I would. I haven't really given it that much thought," Deirdre admitted.

"You look completely human. Are your parents both from Earth?" asked Rene.

"My dad's from Ireland, but my mom's from Betazed," Deirdre told him. "Actually she's only half Betazoid. My grandfather was human. My mom and Aunt Dee both have empathic powers, but they're not telepathic like my grandmother. My brother and I have some empathic abilities too but they're not as strong as my mom's."

"It's too bad you're not staying longer," Rene said. "If you were we could go to Paris. There's so much to see in Paris."

"I wish I could stay here longer too," Deirdre said. "I like it here in France. It's different from Ireland, but nice."

The afternoon passed quickly, and soon it was time to go indoors for the evening meal. Deidre got to know Rene's parents better. She thought that Robert was quite surly most of the time but Marie was really sweet.

That night Deirdre looked for Rene but couldn't find him. She finally saw him sitting under a tree, staring up at the night sky. Quietly she slipped out the door and went to join him.

"I can spend hours at a time just gazing up there, wondering what kinds of worlds there are, what kinds of beings inhabit them." Rene sighed heavily. "I suppose I'll never know."

Deirdre felt sorry for her new friend. "Maybe I could talk to Captain Picard and get him to talk your father into letting you apply to Starfleet," she suggested.

"Uncle Jean-Luc's already talked to my father about it many times, but it never does any good," Rene said sadly.

"Well, it isn't fair!" Deirdre said hotly. "It's _your _life, not his. He should let you do what you want with it."

"He doesn't see it that way," Rene said softly. After a while he silently took Deidre's hand. "You know, it's nice having someone to gaze up at the stars with," he remarked.

When it was time to return to the _Enterprise, _Deirdre felt happy at the prospect of seeing her family again but sad at the thought of leaving Rene.

"I wish you didn't have to leave so soon," Rene told her.

"So do I," Deidre said sadly. "Perhaps I'll get to visit France again someday."

"Or maybe my dad will finally let me visit the _Enterprise." _Rene grinned. "Either way, I know we'll see each other again someday." He kissed her lips. "Good-bye, Deirdre."

"Good-bye, Rene."

He pressed something into the palm of her hand, and the next thing she knew, she was standing in the transporter room of the _Enterprise. _Her parents were waiting to embrace her.

"Did you have a nice visit?" Kestra asked her daughter.

"Oh, yes! It was lots of fun. I met Captain Picard's nephew Rene. He's really nice."

"Did you get all the information you needed for your school project?" asked Kevin.

"Yes." Just then Deidre remembered the object that Rene had pressed into her hand and looked to see what it was. It was a brooch shaped like the Eiffel Tower.


	40. Deanna: That's What Sisters Are For

"This is Maques and his daughter Hedril," Lwaxana Troi told her daughters. "They belong to a race known as the Cairn. The Cairn use telepathy to communicate with each other, but they want to learn to speak so that they can communicate with members of other races."

"Where are Timicin and Barin?" asked Kestra.

"They're on Betazed," her mother told her. "Barin is teething and also going through potty training. It would be too hard to travel with him while he's going through this stage."

"Ian will be disappointed," said Deanna. "You know how he loves to play with Barin."

"I'm sure he'll be along next time," Lwaxana said cheerfully. "And I see that I'm to be a grandmother once more," she added, patting Deanna's rounded belly.

"Three more months," Deanna said with a smile.

"Your mother says that Hedril is her star pupil," Maques said proudly.

"She's an adorable little girl," said Kestra. "You're welcome to visit our quarters anytime you want," she told Hedril. "My daughter is a few years older than you, but I'm sure she'd love to meet you."

Suddenly Data appeared. "Mrs. Troi, Timicin is on the main viewer and wants to speak to you," he said.

Lwaxana sighed and rolled her eyes. "What is it now..." She followed Data back to the bridge, and returned a few minutes later looking very flustered. "I must return to Betazed right away. Barin fell down the porch steps and might need stitches," she announced.

"Oh dear. I hope he's all right," said Kestra.

Lwaxana gestured helplessly toward Maques and Hedril.

"Don't worry about a thing, Mother. I'll look after your guests while you're gone," Kestra volunteered generously.

"Thank you, precious one." Lwaxana patted her older daughter's arm and then disappeared.

* * *

"She appears to be in a coma brought about by a psychic breakdown," Beverly told Deanna.

"But what would have caused the psychic breakdown?" Deanna asked.

"Right before it happened, we had a minor emergency in our quarters," Kevin told his sister-in-law. "Deidre was giving Hedril a manicure and accidentally knocked over a candle with her elbow. The fumes from the nail polish remover started a small fire. We had it out in no time, but when I looked at Kestra, she was slumped over. I wasn't able to rouse her at all, so I brought her to sickbay. Dr. Crusher has no idea why this happened, so she doesn't know how to treat it." Deanna felt Kevin's desperation and it broke her heart.

"Perhaps if I can enter her brain telepathically and gain access to her thoughts, I can help her," she suggested.

"Please, Deanna," begged Kevin. "You must save her. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her." He began to sob heavily. Deanna momentarily forgot that he was fully human and tried to send him comforting thoughts telepathically. When that didn't work, she embraced him and let him cry on her shoulder. Then she lay on the biobed beside her sister and took Kestra's limp hand in her own.

Deanna immediately found herself back on Betazed. She was standing outside the elementary school she had attended as a small child. It was a lovely spring day, and trees shaded the recess area where the swings, slides, and jungle gyms were.

Suddenly Deanna smelled something burning and realized with a shock that smoke was coming from one of the classrooms. She heard a loud alarm followed by screams and pounding feet. Suddenly the schoolyard was filled with many children and several adults. One little girl in particular caught Deanna's eye, and she knew that she was seeing her sister as a small child.

"Chandra! Chandra!" shouted young Kestra as she struggled against the woman who held her back.

"No, Kestra, it's too late! You can't save her! If you go back into that burning building you'll only die yourself!" the woman, who was apparently young Kestra's teacher, insisted.

"But I can't let her die!" Young Kestra's body was wracked with sobs. "She's my best friend!"

"I'm so very sorry," the teacher said, attempting to console the child, who wept uncontrollably.

Deanna walked over to young Kestra and put her hand on the little girl's shoulder. Young Kestra looked up in surprise. "Deanna! What are you doing here?"

"I came to find out what made you so sad, Kestra." Deanna took the little girl's hand and began to walk with her. "This is what made you sad, isn't it?"

"Chandra was my best friend in second grade." Young Kestra sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "When the fire started she was in the bathroom. I pounded and pounded on the door but she never came out. Finally the teacher grabbed me by the hand and dragged me outside with the rest of the class."

"Later, after the fire was out, they found Chandra's body in the bathroom. She fell and hit her head and didn't hear the fire alarm or me banging on the door. That was so traumatic for me that my mind blocked the memory. Then I saw Hedril, and she must have reminded my subconscious of Chandra. Then there was the fire, and...and..." Kestra's voice became choked and she couldn't say anything more.

"Kestra, look!" Deanna nodded in the direction of another little girl who was walking toward them.

"Chandra!" Young Kestra rushed to the little girl and embraced her.

"It's all right, Kestra," said Chandra. "I'm in a place where I'm safe and happy. I must go back there now, but I wanted to tell you that you don't have to be sad anymore."

As Deanna and young Kestra watched, the other little girl dematerialized right before their eyes. The next thing Deanna knew, she was coming to on the biobed in sickbay beside adult Kestra, who had tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I thought I had blocked her from my memory forever," Kestra told her sister. "But then you found her again and brought her back to me. I don't know how to thank you, Deanna."

"It's all right." Deanna embraced her sister and held her close. "That's what sisters are for."

Lwaxana returned shortly afterwards to collect Maques and Hedril.

"How's Barin?" Kestra wanted to know.

"Oh, he's fine now. He screamed bloody murder while they were stitching him up, but now that it's all over with, he's proud of his 'owee' and can't wait to show it off to everybody he meets." Lwaxana laughed. "Was everything all right while I was gone?"

Kestra and Deanna looked at one another. Since all had turned out well in the end, the sisters had decided not to tell Lwaxana the details of what had transpired during her absence, as they knew that it would only cause their mother needless worry.

"Everything was fine," the sisters answered in unison. Lwaxana looked startled, then smiled, and both her daughters smiled back.


	41. Kestra: Saving The Boraalans

_A/N: After watching the episode "Homeward', I was struck by the similarities between it and the movie 'Insurrection', especially Nicolai and Dobara's relationship compared to Jean-Luc and Anij's relationship in the movie. Did this occur to anyone else?_

"I think Nicolai is right!" Kestra told Kevin after the meeting with the ship's senior officers in the observation lounge. "We can't just let all those people die if there's a chance that we can save them!"

The issue at stake was a group of beings called the Boraalans whose planetary atmosphere was being destroyed. Worf's foster brother, Nicolai Rozhenko, wanted to save them by constructing a concealed artificial biosphere, but Jean-Luc believed that that would violate the Prime Directive.

"I feel just the same as you do, Imzadi." Kevin put his arm around his wife.

"Nicolai," Kestra called. Nicolai turned to her in surprise.

"I'm a scientist," Kestra told him. "I'd be happy to help you save the Boraalans in any way possible."

"Kestra!" Kevin protested. "Is it worth losing your career over?"

"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least offer to help," Kestra replied.

Nicolai shook his head sadly. "I do appreciate your offer of help, but I'm afraid nothing further can be done. I must transmit my logs to the ship so that at least Boraalan culture can be preserved in memory."

On the bridge, the crew watched as the atmosphere on the planet was destroyed. Kestra felt so heartsick that she could barely watch.

"We must remember that this is one of the few times when we must honor the Prime Directive regardless of what our personal feelings might be," Jean-Luc told the rest of the crew.

"I see no honor whatsoever in this." Nicolai stalked away angrily.

* * *

On the surface of Boraal II, a woman named Dobara waited for the return of the man she loved. It was the longest she'd ever been apart from Nicolai since they'd met, and she was worried that something might have happened to him. Absentmindedly she stroked her still flat stomach, thinking of the life within, wondering whether it was a boy or a girl, whether it would look like Nicolai.

He had just suddenly appeared one day, from where, no one had any idea, but Dobara knew right away that he was a very kind man who was very concerned for her people. It had been easy for her to fall in love with him, and she rejoiced that he returned her love. She wanted nothing more than to live out her days with Nicolai and their child in the place she'd always called home.

* * *

"I don't believe it!" Kestra exclaimed. She had just learned that Nicolai had used the holodeck to create an exact replica of the caves in which the Boraalans had dwelt and had beamed the planet's population aboard the _Enterprise _before their planet's atmosphere had been completely destroyed.

Although relieved that the Boraalans had survived, Kestra was concerned about what the possible consequences would be for Nicolai.

"The Captain was unhappy with Nicolai's decision but has agreed to help in finding a new planet for the Boraalans to inhabit," Geordi told her.

Kestra suspected that Nicolai might have a deeper, more personal reason for wanting to helping the Boraalans survive than he let on.

* * *

Dobara was relieved to see Nicolai appear but was puzzled that he was accompanied by a man she'd never seen before.

"The surface of your planet has been destroyed. There was nothing that we could do," Nicolai announced to the Boraalans. "We are on a journey to a new home, a place where there are no storms. It will be different from the planet you've left, but you'll be safe there."

Dobara felt as if she were about to faint. Instantly Nicolai's arms were around her, supporting her. "Everything is going to be all right, my love," he consoled her. "You're safe now. I'd never let anything happen to you and our child." He placed his hand lovingly on her belly.

"You never told me where you were originally from, Nicolai," said Dobara.

"I never told you because it doesn't matter," Nicolai said. "The only thing that matters is that I love you and I'll never leave you."

"Do you really mean that?" asked Dobara.

"I mean it with all my heart," Nicolai said solemnly.

* * *

Data and Beverly found a planet called Vacca VI for the Boraalans to be relocated to. To Dobara's great joy, Nicolai decided to remain with them and become their village chronicle.

"I think that's so sweet," Kestra remarked as the _Enterprise _departed. "I hope they'll always be happy together."

"I feel sure they will be," Kevin assured her.


	42. Deanna: Kyanna Elizabeth Troi Riker

"I will miss her advice, her healing, and most of all, her inspiration," Beverly said as she stood before the coffin of her 100-year-old grandmother, Felisa Howard, on the planet of Caldos II.

Caldos II was an early terraform project which had been renovated to exactly recreate Scotland on Earth. Deanna had been to Ireland, but not Scotland, and she was eager to see more of the colony, although, of course, her first priority was to comfort Beverly in her time of loss.

"That was really beautiful," Deanna told Beverly when the eulogy was finished.

"I wonder who the man who threw the camellia on the coffin was," Beverly pondered.

"I didn't notice," said Deanna. "What did he look like?"

"He was in about his mid-thirties, with longish hair."

"I didn't see anyone who looked like that."

"Whoever he was, he must have known that camellias were my grandmother's favorite flower."

"Perhaps he was a friend, or a patient," Deanna suggested.

Deanna accompanied Beverly back to her grandmother's house, where she noticed a picture of Felisa Howard.

"Your grandmother had such incredible green eyes," she commented.

"All the Howard women have had green eyes, except for my mother and myself," Beverly replied.

On the _Enterprise _the next day, Deanna noticed that Beverly looked surprisingly happy for someone who was in mourning, so much so that she teased her about having a new boyfriend, which Beverly denied.

"However, I did have the most incredible dream last night," Beverly admitted. "I fell asleep reading my grandmother's diary, in which she describes a red-hot affair with a thirty-four-year-old man named Ronin. The next thing I knew, I heard a familiar voice calling my name. He came to me and touched me in all the right places." Beverly's eyes went dreamy as she recalled the encounter.

"Well, perhaps you should read two chapters of your grandmother's diary tonight," Deanna suggested teasingly.

"I saw him last night!" Beverly exclaimed to Deanna the next day. "Ronin! Oh, Deanna, he's like no other man I've ever met! He's _so _passionate!"

"That's great!" Deanna said with a smile. "You do have to remember, though, that you and Ronin have both just suffered a tremendous loss, and a shared tragedy can sometimes create the illusion of closeness."

"Oh, I'm not really in _love _with him," Beverly said dismissively.

* * *

"Beverly has resigned from Starfleet and chosen to remain on Caldos II as a healer," Jean-Luc told Deanna. "I don't understand this at all. It's completely unlike her."

"It's Ronin." Deanna sighed heavily. "Since meeting him, she's become a completely different person. I tried to tell her that she was rushing into this, but she wouldn't listen."

Later, Deanna was suddenly jolted out of a peaceful sleep by an intense feeling of dread. _Beverly's in danger! _Quietly, so as not to awaken Will, she crept out of bed and made her way to the transporter room.

Upon beaming down to Caldos II, she saw a sight that nearly made her heart stop. Felisa Howard sat up in her exhumed casket, her eyes glowing a malevolent green. Green bolts shot from them, causing Data and Geordi to fall to the ground unconscious.

"No!" screamed Beverly from somewhere, but the only thing Deanna was really aware of was the pain that suddenly ripped across her abdomen. _Oh dear God, please no...please don't let my baby be born in a cemetery..._

She felt herself being gently lifted by Will and beamed back aboard the _Enterprise. _

"Will, the baby...it's coming..." She whispered breathlessly. She felt Will lower her onto a soft but firm surface and realized that she was lying on a biobed in sickbay.

"Beverly..."

"Beverly's not here," Will said grimly. "We're going to have to do this ourselves."

"No..."

"Yes." Will embraced her tightly. "We can do it, Imzadi. Everything's going to be all right. I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here..."

Deanna cried out as another painful contraction seized her. Will gently removed the clothing from the lower half of her body and put her feet up in stirrups.

"I feel like I have to push!" Deanna gasped.

"Go ahead and push," Will encouraged her. "You're doing great, babe."

Several pushes later, Will held their squalling newborn daughter in his hands.

"It's a girl!" he cried joyfully. "We did it, Imzadi!"

"Oh, Will..." Exhausted, Deanna lay back on the biobed as Will cleaned the newborn, wrapped her in a blanket, and lovingly placed her in her mother's arms.

"I was so afraid...something happened in the cemetery...something that really scared me..."

"It's all right," Will said soothingly. "Everything's all right now. It's all over with, and you're just fine."

"Data and Geordi..."

"Listen, sweetheart, Beverly just hailed me and told me to close all the plasma conduits at the weather control stations," Will told his wife. "It'll only take a few minutes, love, and then I'll be right back."

Deanna gazed into her newborn daughter's tiny face and thought how much she resembled Ian at birth. Suddenly she longed for her five-year-old son so badly that tears come to her eyes.

Will seemed to be gone for a very long time, and when he finally returned, Beverly was with him.

"It's all over," Will told Deanna. "Data and Geordi are going to be fine. It turned out that Ronin was an anaphasic life form who used Beverly's grandmother as a host to maintain molecular cohesion. He took over Felisa's body and made her attack Data and Geordi. Then he tried to take control of Beverly's body, and she was forced to vaporize him with the phaser to save herself."

"Beverly!" Deanna embraced her friend tightly. "I'm so glad you're all right! I've been so worried about you!"

The two women embraced for a long time, and then Beverly turned her attention to the baby in Deanna's arms.

"Her name is Kyanna Elizabeth Troi Riker," Deanna told her.

"She's beautiful," Beverly said. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for the delivery."

"That's all right," Deanna said. "Will did an excellent job."

"So did you." Will grinned and hugged his wife. "I love you so much, Imzadi."

"I love you too," Deanna whispered.


	43. Kestra: A Lizard, An Ape, And A Spider

Deirdre Troi-O'Reilly was overjoyed when she discovered that the _Enterprise's _newest ensign was none other than Rene Picard.

"Rene!" she exclaimed, running to embrace him.

"My father finally allowed me to sign on as an ensign," he told her.

"I'm so glad!" she exclaimed. "I can't wait to show you around!"

"Is that your new boyfriend, Dee?" teased Deirdre's friend, Marissa Flores, when she saw them.

"No, he's my old boyfriend," Deirdre quipped. Marissa snickered.

"Never mind her," Deirdre told Rene. "She's a dweeb."

"So this is the friend you met in France," Kestra remarked when she saw her daughter.

"Yes. This is Rene Picard, Captain Picard's nephew," Deirdre told her.

"Welcome to the _Enterprise, _Rene." Kestra smiled and shook Rene's hand. "I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

Just then Deanna arrived, carrying baby Kyanna and leading Ian by the hand. "Can you watch the children for a few hours?" she asked her sister. "I'm not feeling well at all. I'm going back to my quarters to take a hot bath. I'm freezing!" Deanna's teeth were chattering.

"Of course I'll watch them," said Kestra. "Would you like for me to get Dr. Crusher for you?"

"Oh, no, that's all right," said Deanna. "I'll be fine after a hot bath."

"Can I hold Kyanna?" asked Deirdre.

"Of course," said Kestra. "Be careful to support her head."

"What a beautiful baby!" Rene exclaimed.

"She's my cousin. Her name's Kyanna," Deirdre told him.

"Hi," said Ian. "My name's Ian. What's yours?"

"I'm Rene," said Rene.

"Do you like to play cowboys and Indians?" asked Ian.

"I used to when I was a little kid, but I haven't in a long time," Rene told him.

Rene played cowboys and Indians with Ian to keep him entertained for a long time while Deirdre fed and burped Kyanna.

"I'm really worried about Deanna," Kestra told Kevin over dinner that night. "I haven't heard a word from her since she dropped the kids off a couple of hours ago, saying that she didn't feel well, that she was freezing and needed a hot bath."

"We'll check on her after dinner," said Kevin.

At Deanna and Will's quarters they buzzed for entrance but got no response. By now Kestra was nearly hysterical with worry. Kevin forced the door open and they entered the quarters.

After searching throughout the quarters, they finally found Deanna in her bathtub. Except that she wasn't really Deanna anymore. Her skin had turned bluish...if it could even still be called skin. It had the texture and consistency of a lizard's skin, and Kestra noticed that her sister had gill slits in her neck.

"Oh, Deanna!" she cried, holding the creature who had once been her sister tightly. Deanna didn't say a word.

"Where's Will?" asked Kevin. Suddenly an ape-like creature lunged for him, and he stepped out of the way just in time. The creature was wearing Will's uniform, but that was where the similarity ended.

"Will? Is that you?" asked Kevin, but the creature only snarled in reply.

"We have to find Dr. Crusher, fast!" Kevin exclaimed breathlessly, grabbing Kestra's hand and pulling her along. They almost collided with Soren, who was racing down the corridor in a panic.

"Soren! What's wrong?" asked Kestra.

"It's Reg." Soren was almost in tears. "He...he...has changed form, into an earth creature called a spider."

Kestra imagined a man-sized spider and shuddered involuntarily.

On their way to find Dr. Crusher, the three encountered Data and told him what had happened.

After examining the affected crew members, Data determined that they were all suffering from a virus that had activated normally dormant parts of their DNA, and this had caused them to develop characteristics of more primitive species. After searching for a solution, he finally determined that the embryo of a pregnant nurse had been unaffected by the virus and that an antidote to the virus could be prepared from her antibiotic fluid.

Data prepared the antidote and injected it into Deanna, Will, and Reg, and all three of them were soon back to normal.

* * *

Kevin and Kestra kept Ian and Kyanna overnight and took them back to their fully recovered parents the following day. Deirdre and Rene accompanied them. They hadn't been told what had happened the previous evening.

"Rene's a lot of fun," Ian told his parents. "He played cowboys and Indians with me last night."

"How was Kyanna?" asked Deanna.

"She was a perfect little angel," said Deirdre. "She slept almost all the way through the night."

"That's my girl!" Deanna made kissing noises at Kyanna, who laughed and waved her arms.

"I love babies," said Deirdre. "I can't wait until I get married and have my own."

Rene smiled.


	44. Deanna: All's Well That Ends Well

Life aboard the _Enterprise _continued as usual. Kevin and Kestra, Will and Deanna, and Data and Tasha enjoyed the time they spent together with one another and with their children. Donovan stayed in touch with Oliana Mirren, and the romance between Rene and Deirdre blossomed. Reg and Soren decided to to try to have a baby together using in vitro fertilization and an artificial womb.

One day Will had news for Deanna when he met her for lunch. "There's a new man on board," he told her. "His name is Jason Vigo, and he's Jean-Luc's son."

"Jean-Luc's..._son?" _Deanna was shocked.

Will nodded. "About twenty-four years ago, Jean-Luc had a fling with a woman named Miranda Vigo while he was on shore leave on Earth. Jean-Luc lost touch with Miranda, and he never found out about Jason's existence. Recently Bok hailed Jean-Luc and told him that in revenge for the death of his own son, whom Jean-Luc had been forced to kill in self defense, he was going to kill Jason, the son Jean-Luc never realized he had. Jason has been beamed aboard the _Enterprise _for his own safety until Bok can be located and dealt with."

"That must have come as a great shock to Jean-Luc," Deanna replied. "I wonder why Miranda never told him about Jason."

"God only knows," said Will. "But I know just how Jean-Luc feels."

Neither of them said anything more, but each knew that the other was thinking of the incident with Aili Lavena and Veser all those years ago.

"I wonder how Jason's dealing with it," said Deanna. "It must be very difficult for him as well. I'll visit him and see if he wants to talk about it."

Deanna found Jason's quarters and paid a visit to the young man.

"Hello, Jason. I'm Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor," she told him.

"Come in," said Jason. "Did Captain Picard ask you to come speak to me?"

"No. I wanted to come on my own and see how you were doing," Deanna replied. "A lot has happened over the past week. I thought you might like to talk about it."

"I'll be all right." Jason smirked. "People have wanted to kill me before."

"But you've never met your father before."

"And I have to admit, I never thought I would."

"It must be somewhat overwhelming."

"I'm a little shaky."

"Well, that's only natural."

"But you know what? I feel better already, just talking to you."

"So how do you feel about the Captain, about your father?"

"He's OK. A little stiff. Where are you from?"

"I was born on Betazed."

"Do all the women there have eyes like yours?"

"Look, Jason. I came here to talk to you because I'm the ship's counselor. If you don't want to talk to me in that way, then I think I should go."

"Fine."

Deanna prepared to leave. "You're welcome to make an appointment to come to my office."

"Maybe I'll do just that."

Jason chuckled as Deanna stalked away.

"So, how did the visit with Jason go?" Will asked Deanna later in their quarters.

"He hit on me!" Deanna's eyes blazed with anger. "I tried to be nice and help him, and what did he do but hit on me, the smart-ass, testosterone-driven, know-it-all piece of..."

"Whoa! Cool it." Will grinned. "One thing I can say in his favor is that he does have excellent taste in women."

Deanna glared at her husband for a minute, then burst out laughing. Will joined in.

Over the following days, the search for Bok continued. The Ferengi appeared to Jean-Luc in holograph form and left threats a couple of times, but the location of the real being remained a mystery. In the meantime, Jason began to suffer from convulsions and was diagnosed with a hereditary disease by Beverly.

Eventually Bok was able to beam Jason off the _Enterprise _and contacted Jean-Luc via the view screen, gloating about how he was going to kill the boy before his father's very eyes. Against the advice of Geordi and Data, Jean-Luc beamed aboard Bok's ship and confronted him with the news that Beverly had discovered that Jason wasn't Jean-Luc's son after all, while she'd been investigating Jason's hereditary disease.

Jean-Luc was able to persuade the Ferengi to beam himself and Jason back aboard the _Enterprise, _and Jason returned to his home planet shortly afterwards.

"Well, all's well that ends well, I guess," Will commented jovially. "Right, Deanna?"

"I can't truly say that I'm sorry to see him go," Deanna said stiffly.

"Some day he'll grow up and realize that he isn't God's gift to womankind like he thinks he is," Will said.

"That never happened to you." Deanna grinned at her husband.

"You know me too well, Imzadi." Will grinned back and winked at her.


	45. Epilogue

"It was a beautiful wedding, and you two make such a lovely couple," Beverly Crusher said to the newlyweds, Donovan Troi-Riker and Oliana Mirren.

"Thank you," Oliana said with a smile. She and Donovan had just graduated Starfleet Academy and been assigned posts on the _Enterprise _together.

"Won't you have another piece of cake?" Kestra asked Jean-Luc, who politely declined.

"It really was a wonderful ceremony," Deanna said to her sister.

"It was," Kestra agreed. "I don't know when I've cried harder."

"I suppose you'll be next," Deanna said to Deirdre, who grinned and snuggled closer to Rene.

Suddenly an Indian war whoop was heard, and ten-year-old Ian burst upon the scene, followed closely by his four-year-old sister Kyanna and five-year-old Zoe Yar. The three-year-old Barclay twins, Lukard and Lessa, looked on.

"They've just been good for too long for one day," Tasha said laughingly. "I'll take them to the holodeck for some fun and games." She took Zoe by one hand and Kyanna by the other and led them toward the holodeck. The other children followed.

"Ian was perfectly charming as the ring bearer," Kestra said to her sister. "And Zoe and Kyanna were so cute as flower girls."

Deanna smiled and blushed. She'd never been more proud of her children.

Will came to his wife and put his arms around her, and she leaned back against him.

"It seems just yesterday we were both first assigned to the _Enterprise, _doesn't it?" he asked.

She laughed. "Few moments in my life have been more awkward."

"But we came through it all just fine, didn't we?"

"Except for a couple of bumps in the road, yes."

"I love you so much, Dee," Will said as he tenderly embraced his wife.

"I love you, too," she murmured.

Rene Picard and Deirdre Troi-Riker were married the following year, and about fifteen years after that, Ian Troi-Riker and Zoe Yar were married. All the married couples had children and grandchildren and shared many happy years together.


End file.
